Executive Board Election - Call for Nominations

The California Fire Chiefs Association (CalChiefs) is now accepting nominations for the office of President-Elect. Upon assuming the office of President, current President-Elect Fire Chief Steve Akre of the Sonoma Valley Fire District will create a vacancy in the President-Elect position.

Please submit letters of interest or nominations no later than June 30, 2026, to Executive Director Mark Heine at mark.heine@calchiefs.org.

All candidates must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for office, as specified in the Constitution and By-Laws.

Article 3 – Officers

Section 1 – Eligibility. Any member of the Association seeking election to the elective offices specified in this Article shall, on the day of the election, be an Active Member or Active Member – Group in good standing and have been such for at least two (2) consecutive years prior to that date.

Section 2 – Elected Officers. The elected officers of the Association shall consist of the President, President Elect, Northern Division Director, and Southern Division Director. The term of office for the President and the President Elect shall be one (1) year while the term of office for the Division Directors shall be four (4) years, or until the next regular election is called by the Executive Board. Active Members, Active Members – Group, Active Members – Volunteer, and Active Retired Members shall be eligible to vote for all elected officers of the Association. The Executive Director shall be responsible for ensuring elections occur on time and according to these by-laws or Executive Board policy as adopted from time-to-time.

Section 4 – Executive Board. There shall be an Executive Board which shall consist of the President, President Elect, Immediate Past President, Northern Division Director, Southern Division Director, Secretary/Treasurer, Member-at-Large representative, Legislative Director and California Director to the Western Fire Chiefs Association Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall be a non-voting ex-officio member of the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall also serve as the Finance Committee for the Association.

The progression of officers, and their duties and responsibilities, is as follows:

Article 3 – Officers

Section 9 – Officer Progression. The President shall advance to the office of Immediate Past President at the conclusion of their term. The President Elect shall advance to the office of President upon the President advancing to Immediate Past President or vacating the position. Officers must be in good standing for progression to occur.

Article 4 - Duties of Board Members

Section 1 – Executive Board Members

The President shall:

• Be the official representative for the Association;
• Serve as the chairperson of the Executive Board;
• Preside at meetings of the Association and at meetings of the Board of Directors;
• Appoint all committees, including those not provided for in the constitution and by-laws;
• Along with the Executive Board, approve the date and place of the annual meeting of the Full Board;
• Perform such other duties as may be required of the office by action of the members at the annual conference or by policy direction of the Full Board.

The President Elect shall:

• In the absence or inability of the President to perform all the duties of the office be directed to assume the duties of the President;
• Assist the President in conducting the business and policies of the Association including coordination of committee activities;
• Perform such other duties as may be required of the office by action of the members at the annual conference or by policy direction of the Full Board.

To be considered for office, letters of interest and supporting materials must be submitted by email to mark.heine@calchiefs.org no later than June 30, 2026.

Election Schedule

• June 30, 2026 – Deadline for submission of nominations and/or letters of interest for eligibility review.
• July 8, 2026 – Electronic voting opens, and notice will be provided to all eligible voting members by email.
• July 22, 2026 – Deadline for submission of electronic ballots.
• July 23–28, 2026 – Ballots will be tallied, results will be certified by the Executive Director, candidates will be notified, and election results will be posted on the CalChiefs website.
• October 27, 2026 – Swearing-in will take place at the CalChiefs Annual Conference in Anaheim.