As the first woman to lead the Kansas City Fire Department, Donna Maize doesn’t shy away from being a role model and an inspiration to girls and young women who may consider a career like hers.
“They will be able to see that from a young age, and realize that just like a police officer or any other nontraditional female role that there are people out there that look like them,” Maize said Monday on her first day as fire chief.
Maize, a 26-year veteran of the fire department, has been named interim chief. She replaces Gary Reese, who announced last month that he was stepping down after serving less than two years as fire chief.
Maize is the first woman to lead the fire department in any capacity since its inception more than 150 years ago.