- The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) completed the election of its board of directors
- John Bonney has been elected as the new NFPA chairman
- Bonney takes over from Dave Paulison, who is completing his second two-year term as board chairman.
QUINCY, Mass. — The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) completed the election of its board of directors at its annual meeting on June 22, which included naming the new chairman, the election of one new member and the re-election of two members of the board.
John Bonney, who has served on the NFPA board since 2015 and previously held the role of first vice chairman, has been elected by the NFPA board of directors as the new chairperson.
With more than three decades of service, Bonney “has built a distinguished and internationally respected career in fire and rescue leadership,” according to the NFPA announcement. A former president of the UK Chief Fire Officers Association and chief fire officer of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, he has also held national resilience, governance, and advisory roles in both the United Kingdom and internationally.
He was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 2015 for services to the Fire and Rescue Service.
What Does the NFPA Chairman Do?
As the new chairman, Bonney “will work closely with NFPA’s executive leadership team and board members to continue advancing the organization’s global impact on fire, electrical and life safety,” according to the association announcement.
Bonney takes over from Dave Paulison, a former administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. fire administrator, who is completing his second two-year term as board chairman. Paulison “made significant contributions to NFPA and the fire safety community during his tenure,” the announcement says.
The board also elected a slate of officers that includes Roger Montembeault as first vice chairman, Butch Browning as second vice chairman, Lou Paulson as secretary, Reggie Freeman as treasurer, Denis Onieal as assistant treasurer and Paulison as immediate past chairman.
In addition, NFPA members elected one new board member and two were re-elected to three-year terms on the board:
- Michael P. Ryan, senior vice president and chief accounting officer at Otis Elevator Company, has been elected by NFPA members for his first three-year term.
- Michael Snyder, vice president, operational risk management at DEKRA, who served a partial vacancy term as a board member since 2025, was elected to his first three-year term.
- Brigadier General Mohamed Abdullah Al-Nuaimi, Civil Defense General Headquarters, Ministry of the Interior Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was elected to his second three-year term.
