CalChiefs Passing of the Baton

Chief Heine to Transition to Executive Director as Chief Meston Retires

Jeff Meston’s affiliation with the California Fire Chiefs Association began in the early 1980s, when he was a young engineer with the Madera City Fire Department. Captain Mike Litvinchuk of the San Leandro Fire Department introduced him to the CalChiefs Northern Training Officers Section, initiating what would become a decades-long commitment to the Association.

After being hired by the Novato Fire District as the Training and EMS Chief, Meston became an active member of both the EMS Section and the Northern California Training Officers Section. He advanced through the chairs after first being elected Secretary, ultimately serving as Northern Section President while Don Heiser served as Southern Section President. During this time, he also served as Deputy Incident Commander for the Training Officers Workshop following its transition to San Jose.

Meston continued his service with CFCA by joining the Board of Directors as the Northern Area 6 Director, where he was appointed liaison to the Training Officers Section. He retired from the Novato Fire District in 2006. After becoming Fire Chief in Novato, he began working with Chiefs Martin and Kohlmann to deliver the Chief Officer Leadership Academy in Fresno each year, a program he has supported for more than 25 years.

Following his appointment as Fire Chief for the City of South Lake Tahoe, Meston returned to CFCA leadership by running for President-Elect in 2017 and serving as President from 2018 to 2019.

In 2021, Meston was appointed Executive Director of the California Fire Chiefs Association. During his tenure, he worked alongside Presidents Stefano, Gayk, Tubbs, Heine, Fennessy, and Molloy. Under the direction of the Board of Directors, CFCA achieved several significant milestones, including the creation of the Consulting and Training for-profit division, the establishment of the Cal Chiefs Foundation, the creation of the Cal Chiefs Hall of Fame, and the modernization of the Ronny J. Coleman Fire Chief of the Year Award—completed with Chief Coleman’s direct guidance before his passing.

CFCA partnered with Smith Moore & Associates to expand its organizational capacity, leading to the development or refinement of the Metro Chiefs Branch, Tribal Chiefs Branch, and the Combination and Volunteer Chiefs Branch. The Association also established the Presidents Council, ensuring weekly coordination among the President, President-Elect, Past President, and Executive Director to guide the organization and strengthen service to its members.

Additionally, CFCA played a central role in forming the California Fire Service Leadership Alliance—uniting CFCA, the Fire Districts Association, the League of California Cities Fire Chiefs, Metro Chiefs, Tribal Chiefs, Combination and Volunteer Chiefs, and Contract County Chiefs. The Executive Director serves as the Executive Officer of this unified body, which now stands as a key leadership forum for the state’s fire service.

Chief Meston holds a firm belief that every leader has a responsibility to leave both their office and their organization stronger than they found them.

Mark Heine brings more than four decades of exceptional fire service leadership, operational expertise, and statewide influence to the role of Executive Director of the California Fire Chiefs Association (CalChiefs), beginning in January 2026. A lifelong public safety professional, Heine has served in nearly every rank of the fire service, culminating in his tenure as Fire Chief of the Sonoma County Fire District—one of California’s fastest-growing fire agencies. His leadership has helped shape the modern California fire service through innovation, collaboration, and a deep commitment to organizational excellence.

Heine is widely known across the state for his work in regionalization, governance, EMS system design, and public-sector strategic planning. As a past President of CalChiefs, he played a central role in strengthening advocacy efforts in Sacramento, modernizing association operations through reorganization, and building strong partnerships with state agencies, elected officials, labor organizations, and fire service stakeholders.

Throughout his career, Heine has been recognized for his balanced leadership style, commitment to financial responsibility, and ability to bring diverse groups together to solve complex challenges. He has championed the professional development of future leaders, mentored new chiefs, and consistently advocated for system improvements that strengthen service delivery and benefit local communities.

As a result of his experience and mentorship for the position under Executive Director Jeff Meston, Heine brings an exceptional blend of operational expertise, policy insight, statewide relationships, and a clear vision for advancing CalChiefs’ mission. He remains deeply committed to supporting California’s fire service, strengthening collaboration across all sections and regions, and ensuring the Association continues its leadership on the most important issues facing departments today.