Ellen serves as a deputy chief with Nether Providence Fire Department in Pennsylvania. Like many volunteer agencies, her department struggles with recruitment and retention. One notable strength is the pipeline of teenagers they enjoy through a robust partnership with the local public high school. In addition to teaching high school, Chief Yarborough teaches the Leadership in Supervision course for the National Fire Academy and operates the consulting firm Schoolhouse to Firehouse.

Following the death of his daughter Casey by a distracted driver in 2009, Mr. Feldman created  EndDD.org , “End Distracted Driving,” and has developed science-based distracted driving presentations, as well as other resources used by businesses, schools and community groups in  educational initiatives. Mr. Feldman coordinates a network of speakers who have presented to more than 500,000 students across the U.S. and in Canada, all without cost to schools.

Mr. Feldman has personally given nearly 1000 distracted driving presentations to  more than 200,000 teens and adults since 2012, and has been the keynote speaker at a number of legal, medical, traffic safety and business conferences. Current projects include a distracted driving picture book for K-2 students, lesson plans for 2^nd-5^th grades, and evaluation of distracted driving initiatives to maximize their effectiveness. He is a member of the NTSB’s National Distracted Driving Coalition and chairs the youth education subcommittee and is coordinating a study that will be the most comprehensive teen distracted driving project ever undertaken.

Mr. Feldman is a shareholder in the Philadelphia law firm of Anapol Weiss and after Casey’s death obtained his masters in counseling from Villanova University.

Mr. Feldman can be reached at info@EndDD.org

Kerry Mensior teaches you how to communicate using science, not speculation. You’ll learn Communication Skills that are Easy to Understand, Easy to Remember and even Easier to Implement! Kerry is the Executive Director of the International De-Escalation Association (IDEA), as well as an international speaker, a best-selling author and sought-after Communication Mastery trainer.  Kerry is also the consummate First Responder.  He spent 9 years in the US Navy Submarine Service, is a former Firefighter, current EMT and recently retired as a Police Sergeant after serving 30 years in Law Enforcement

Presenter Colby Cagle is currently in his 20th year as a volunteer firefighter. Colby earned his master’s degree in ducational leadership and graduated from the Oklahoma Executive Fire Officers Leadership Program (which he now facilitates) in 2015. He is currently the managing rditor for Fire Protection Publications and IFSTA. He serves on the VCOS Volunteer Workforces Solutions Recruitment and Retention Council, as a principal on NFPA 1000, and Instructor for VCOS Beyond Hoses and Helmets.

Ryan joined the NVFC in 2022. He is available to assist NVFC members with any questions or concerns related to federal legislation or regulations, is the staff liaison when it comes to standards and codes setting committees, and actively promotes the interests and priorities of the volunteer emergency services to Congress and the Executive Branch. Ryan came to the NVFC with a decade of policy experience. Before joining our staff, Ryan worked on the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ government relations team for two years and worked for former Congressman Peter King for eight years, including as legislative director. Rep. King is the former chair of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security and the former co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus.

Tom Miller is a 35 year veteran of the Sissonville Volunteer Fire Department in West Virginia and has served on the NVFC Board since 2008.  He has held many positions of leadership within his department and currently serves on the Department's Board of Directors in addition to being an active firefighter.  Tom is active in the West Virginia State Fireman's Association and currently serves as its Scholarship Chair.  Tom holds many certifications including, but not limited to: Firefighter II, Fire Officer II, Hazardous Materials Technician/Incident Commander, Swift Water Rescue Technician, Vehicle Machinery Technician, Rope Rescue Technician, and Fire Instructor III, and is an active Instructor with West Virginia University Fire Service Extension.  He serves on the NVFC's Health & Safety and Conference/Education Committees.  Tom also represents the NVFC on the NFPA 470 Technical Committee and the NFPA Joint 1001/472 Task Group.  In his paying job, Tom is employed as the Privacy & Security Officer for the West Virginia Department of Administration.

David is a 22 year member of the fire service and currently serves as a Lieutenant and coassigned to the Training Division with the Columbia County Fire Rescue (Ga.) and a part time Firefighter with Grovetown (Ga) DPS. In addition, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Georgia State Firefighter's Association, National Volunteer Fire Council State Director, Georgia Pipeline Emergency Response Initiave Board of Directors, NFPA’s Working Group on Flammable Refrigerants, Alternate to NFPA 1021 and 1056 Committees, and was Secretary of IFSTA's Pumping Apparatus Driver Operator 3rd Edition Curriculum Committee, contributor to the “Training Officer’s Desk Reference”, and is a Safety and Health coordinator with HEPACO LLC. As an active instructor for the Georgia Fire Academy with Firefighter Basics, David is constantly engaged with teaching live fire, leadership, HAZMAT, and Firefighter Survival/RIT classes.

A Native of Ironton, Ohio, Jan Rader joined the Huntington Fire Department in August of 1994. Ms. Rader is the first woman to reach the rank of Chief for a career department in the State of West Virginia. She holds a Regents Bachelor of Arts degree from Marshall University and an Associates Degree of Science in Nursing from Ohio University. Jan holds many fire service certifications and is also a Fire and EMS Instructor in the State of West Virginia. Chief Rader came to national prominence after the release of the short documentary “Heroin(e)” by Netflix in September of 2017. Then in April of 2018, she was chosen as one of Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She retired from the City of Huntington Fire Department in February of 2022 and currently serves as the Director of the Mayor’s Council of Public Health & Drug Control Policy. The purpose of this council is to address substance use disorder in Huntington and the surrounding communities and to create a holistic approach involving prevention, treatment, recovery, and law enforcement.

Karla Klas, BSN, RN, CCRP manages the University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center's nationally acclaimed community and family-centered injury prevention programs. Her 30-year distinguished career in burn/trauma critical care nursing, research, professional development training, mentoring, program management, public education, curriculum development, CRR, and injury prevention has produced numerous journal publications, textbook chapters and grant awards. She has attained multiple specialty certifications and leadership appointments to committees devoted to injury control. She is a Professional Instructor for the National Fire Academy in the Youth Firesetting Prevention and Intervention Courses. An award-winning educator, speaker, and author, Karla also mentors at-risk youth, volunteers in survivor support programs, and enjoys all kinds of outdoor adventures with her family. Learn more at: https://traumaburn.org/karla-s...

Todd Leiss is the Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC), managing the emergency services contracts across the 567-mile turnpike system. Prior to becoming the PTC TIM Coordinator, Todd worked as an Operations Center Duty Officer for more than 15 years in the PTC Traffic Operations Center.

Prior to his tenure at the PTC, he worked as an emergency dispatcher at the Derry Township Police Department and at Lebanon County 911. Todd joined the fire service as a volunteer firefighter in 1982, became an emergency medical technician in 1986 and hazardous material team member in 1987 and is currently Wreckmaster 6/7A certified.  Todd currently leads the statewide traffic incident management program, Pennsylvania Traffic Incident Management Enhancement (PennTIME) and serves as the Deputy Director of Training for the Emergency Responder Safety Institute/Respondersafety.com.