Chief Mary Cameli to lead the International Fire Service Training Association as the Executive Board Chair.
Mary Cameli, Fire Chief of the Mesa Fire and Medical Department in Phoenix, Arizona, was elected as the International Fire Service Training Association Executive Board Chair during IFSTA’s 89th Annual Validation Conference on July 9, 2022. Chief Cameli is IFSTA’s first female executive board chair.
Chief Cameli began her career at the Mesa Fire and Medical Department in 1983 after she finished college where she received a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Elementary and Physical Education, as well as a Master's Degree in Organizational Management.
She was one of the first females hired at MFMD and has worked her way through the ranks to her current position as fire chief. Chief Cameli has earned recognition by spearheading the MFMD program which is a gold standard example of Integrated Community Health Care. She was also named the Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association Fire Chief of the Year in 2021.
Chief Cameli is the vice president of the Center for Public Safety Excellence Board, President of the Community Bridges Board, past president of the Arizona Fire Chiefs Association, past chair of the Child Crisis Arizona Board and past president of the Mesa Sunrise Rotary among others.
Cameli joins 14 other board members in leading the organization: Vice-Chair Josh Stefancic, Safety Harbor Fire Chief, Safety Harbor, Florida; Mike Wieder, IFSTA Executive Director, Stillwater, Oklahoma; Steve Ashbrock, retired Madeira & Indian Hill Joint Fire District Fire Chief, Cincinnati, Ohio; Thomas Breyer, International Association of Fire Fighters Assistant to the General President, Washington, D.C.; Bradd Clark, Palm Coast Deputy Fire Chief, Palm Coast, Florida; Dr. Larry Collins, retired Associate Dean of the School of Safety, Security & Emergency Management at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky; Tom Jenkins, Rogers Fire Chief, Rogers, Arkansas; Dr. Scott Kerwood, Hutto Fire Rescue Fire Chief, Hutto, Texas; Wes Kitchel, retired Cloverdale Fire Protection District Chief of Operations, Gardnerville, Nevada; Jonathan Lund, Des Moines Fire Marshal, Des Moines, Iowa; Dr. Dan Madrzykowski, UL Fire Safety Research Institute Director of Research, Columbia, Maryland; Jeffrey Morrissette, Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Commission on Fire Prevention & Control State Fire Administrator, Windsor Locks, Connecticut; Dr. Denis Onieal, former United States Fire Administration Deputy Director, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Dan Ripley, Lincoln Fire and Rescue Captain, Lincoln, Nebraska; and Dr. Demond Simmons, Oakland Chief of Training, Oakland, California.
Duties of the Board include establishing policies and projects, approving scope and purpose statements, approving titles for new and revised training materials, advising Fire Protection Publications on pertinent matters, as well as maintaining external relations with other organizations.
WRITTEN BY: Kallie Coakley | FPP Marketing Student Intern
The International Fire Service Training Association is an organization of fire service personnel who are dedicated to upgrading firefighting techniques and safety through training. Since 1934, IFSTA has been the worldwide leader of the fire service in developing fire and emergency responder training materials. IFSTA produces training manuals, eBooks, curriculum, test prep, workbooks, skill sheets, interactive courses, instructor resources and more. For IFSTA-FPP media inquiries, contact Marketing Coordinator Erin Portman at erinfl@osufpp.org or call 800-654-4055.
