July 6, 2020 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has announced the restructuring of its U.S. Regional Operations field staff, under a single team managed by Ray Bizal, regional operations director.
Meredith Hawes and Kelly Ransdell, who formerly worked as regional education specialists within NFPA’s public education division, will become regional directors for the Regional Operations team, joining Ray Bizal, Robbie Dawson, Robert Duval, Gary Honold, Gregory Cade, and Bob Sullivan.
“These changes give our stakeholders across the United States a single point of contact for assistance with using NFPA resources to keep their communities safe,” said Bizal. Previously regional representation was separate for public education and code related support. “I’m excited to bring this streamlined model to the stakeholders, making it easier for them to work with us. And I’m thrilled to have Meredith and Kelly join our team to help further NFPA’s efforts in supporting jurisdictions as they work to best protect communities from fire and related hazards,” continued Bizal.
The overarching role of NFPA’s regional directors is to promote and support the use of all NFPA tools and resources, including NFPA codes and standards, training, certification, as well as public education campaigns like Fire Prevention Week, Fire Sprinkler Initiative state coalitions, and other key NFPA programs.
Following are the states for which each regional director is now responsible:
- Ray Bizal – CA, OR
- Greg Cade – DE, OH, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV, (DC)
- Robby Dawson – AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, SC, TN
- Bob Duval – CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT
- Meredith Hawes – IA, IL, IN, MI, MN, WI
- Gary Honold – AK, HI, ID, MT, ND, NE, SD, WA
- Kelly Ransdell – AR, LA, MO, NC, OK, TX
- Bob Sullivan – AZ, CO, KS, NM, NV, UT, WY
Formerly serving as a regional director for seven states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin), Russ Sanders will now focus his efforts on NFPA’s Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association (Metro) Section, which brings together fire service professionals around the globe and serves as an conduit for addressing emerging issues for large-jurisdiction departments.
For this release and other announcements about NFPA initiatives, research and resources, please visit the NFPA press room.
As all of us continue to navigate the evolving situation with COVID-19, we remain committed to supporting you with the resources you need to minimize risk and navigate the effects of the pandemic. For information on NFPA’s response to the coronavirus, please visit our webpage.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information, visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.