Vetted Solutions Called in to Find New CEO for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
March 3, 2023 – The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) has retained Washington, D.C.- based Vetted Solutions to lead in its search for a new CEO. The position will be located in the organization’s Emmitsburg and Crofton, MD offices.
The CEO will lead the activities of the NFFF and its affiliate program, the First Responders Center for Excellence for Reducing Occupational Illness, Injuries, and Deaths (FRCE). The NFFF and affiliate operations include educational and professional development, fundraising, and support services for firefighters and their families; the CEO leads these programs and their strategic deployment with stakeholders. The incoming CEO will lead the foundation and affiliate, whose constituents’ work regularly puts them into hazardous, dangerous situations. The CEO must demonstrate an empathy and commitment to a cause that can be both a professional mission and personal calling. The CEO will be expected to display exceptional professionalism, sensitivity, and dedication in their work.
The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation is a non-profit created by an act of Congress in 1992 to lead a nationwide effort to honor America’s fallen firefighters.
NFFF fulfills this mandate by honoring and remembering America’s fallen fire heroes, providing resources to assist the families of the lost firefighters in rebuilding their lives, and through work within the fire service community to reduce firefighter deaths and injuries.
Recently Completed Search
The search for NFFF’s new leader follows Vetted Solutions having recently filled the top role for the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) with the recruitment of Shawn Townsend as the organization’s new president and CEO. Mr. Townsend joins the RAMW team after more than a decade with the District of Columbia’s government, most recently serving as director of the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Culture.
Related: Vetted Solutions Seeks CEO for National Association of Personal Financial Advisors
Gavin Coleman, RAMW board chair and partner at Long Shot Hospitality, said: “Our industry is at a pivotal moment and we are thrilled to welcome Shawn in this role to lead both the industry and organization into the next chapter. Shawn brings a bounty of energy, experience, and knowledge and is already in the unique position to have earned the trust of many operators across the city and region. Now as we continue the recovery path of rebuilding business, workforce, and economic sustainability for operators of all sizes, especially in the wake of Initiative 82, we are confident that Shawn is the right leader for the job.”
Non-Profit Recruiters
Vetted Solutions, a specialist in conducting non-profit, government, and association sector recruiting assignments, focuses on recruiting board members, CEOs and senior staff positions for prominent and well-known organizations nationwide. Recent searches that the firm has conducted include executive director for the Association for Creative Industries, chief operating officer for the American Society of Microbiology, executive director for the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, and executive director of the American Academy of Optometry.
Jim Zaniello, the firm’s president and founder, has worked for more than two decades in positions ranging from non-profit executive director to publisher of a leading tool for non-profit executive search. He is also known to have an intimate understanding of the complex demands of the executive office through his own experience as executive director at several associations and non-profits.
Related: Vetted Solutions Assists in the Recruitment of New CEO for CEDIA
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
