Tag Archives: President’s Report

As you read this, spring will have arrived; it is a time of growth, of renewal, of change. There is a feeling of optimism in the air as we cautiously reopen our country: baseball fans are back in their seats at stadiums, live events are on the books, and children …

“Where are we headed?” Perhaps it’s one of life’s deepest and most asked questions of ourselves and of others around us about life in general. Certainly, it’s an appropriate question for our association. Where is the industry headed? Where is your company headed? How are COVID-19 and its related issues …

Wow! Talk about living the dream. I am so very honored and appreciative at having been selected to serve our industry as the new president of AFSA. As anyone who knows me will attest, I have always been passionate about fire and life safety, and especially the benefits of fire …

Assurance. Having faith in a product or system that tends to inspire full confidence in the end user subscriber. Assurance, not the same as insurance, is what those of us in the association management field aim to provide voluntary member participants who take advantage of programs designed to enhance business …

Persistence. The quality of possessing tenacity and the continuance of consistent effort. When reflecting upon the theme for this particular issue of Sprinkler Age magazine, technology in the workplace – “Is Your Jobsite Smart?,” I immediately thought of an American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) staff member who has embodied the …

Battleship. An American naval vessel of sufficient size which is heavily armored and equipped with the most powerful armament, used to take part in operations of significance. The term “Battleship,” and its 4 in.-thick reinforced iron sides, was used on numerous occasions throughout the two-year term of Michael (Mike) Meehan as the American Fire Sprinkler …

Participation. The act of taking part, sharing, and reaping the benefits of being related to a larger whole. The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) has been developing and offering worthwhile educational courses, training exercises, advocacy outreach, product awareness, and impactful networking programs for over 36 years. How fitting then, at …

Inspiration. The actions of a person believed to qualify them to communicate sacred opinions. To understand the depth and breadth of knowledge that the American Fire Sprinkler Association’s (AFSA) Past Chairman of the Board of Directors have brought to leadership conversations since 1981 is to understand why the principles of …

Dedication. The quality of being dedicated or committed to a task or purpose. When we reflect upon why AFSA was incorporated in 1981, the phrase “dedicated to the educational advancement of its members” is the key reason the organization came into being. As I’ve said to numerous elected leaders within …

Awareness. Prior to being hired as AFSA’s executive vice president in late 2014, I had been employed as the executive director of the Michigan Lupus Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization. We operated knowing that groups focused on socioeconomic or medically based causes often rely on awareness as a driving …