Meet the Incredible Speakers
2025 Keynote General Session speakers
FORMER U.S. NAVY SEAL & LEAD SNIPER,
CHIEF TRAINING OFFICER AND LEADERSHIP INSTRUCTOR
Echelon Front
ACTING U.S. DEPUTY FIRE ADMINISTRATOR / SUPERINTENDENT
U.S. Fire Adminstration / National Fire Academy
FORMER NFL PLAYER, 3-TIME SUPERBOWL CHAMPION, 2-TIME PRO BOWL
Dallas Cowboys
SPORTSCASTER
Fox NFL
Digital Designer
2025 Breakout Session speakers
Dr. Candace Ashby
BATTALION CHIEF
Indianapolis Fire Department
Leadership From The Bottom Up!
Battalion Chief
Chris Barron
FIRE CHIEF
Travis County Emergency Services District No. 5
Top Ten Strategies for Successful Leadership
Chris Biggerstaff
FIRE CHIEF
Plano Fire Rescue
The Culture Task Force
Desiree Bittner
CEO / OWNER
1st Response Family Clinic
NFPA 1582: How to Keep Your FD Healthy
Jerry Bittner
DEPUTY CHIEF (RET.)
The Woodlands FD
DIRECTOR OF SALES / CHIEF KNOWLEDGE OFFICER
1st Response Family Clinic
NFPA 1582: How to Keep Your FD Healthy
Digital Designer
Joseph Brace
DISTRICT CHIEF
Houston Fire Department
Increased Integrated Response Training for Active Threats
Samson “Mufasa” DeSessa
FIRE CHIEF
Naval Air Station Fort Worth Fire & Emergency Services
Leadership = Relationship
Daniel DeYear
DEPUTY CHIEF
Dallas Fire Rescue (Ret.)
Leadership From The Bottom Up!
Chance Freeman
DIRECTOR
Texas HHS Disaster Behavioral Health Services
What Do we Do Now? Caring for First Responders After a Disaster or Mass-Casualty Incident
Tony Haden
FIRE CHIEF
Travis County Emergency Services District No. 8 – Pedernales Fire Department
Un-Renew your Department Culture
Kerry Henderson
BATTALION CHIEF
James City County FD
HM Leadership Concepts / The Heat of Command Podcast
Beyond the 4 Walls of the Firehouse: Harnessing Soft Skills for Success on the Fireground
Keith Hopkins
FIRE CHIEF
Mesquite Fire Department
The Secret to Being an Extraordinary Leader
Digital Designer
Russ Howard
FIRE CAPTAIN
Austin Fire Department
Leading Outside Your Rank
Jamie Howarth
FIRE OFFICER
Anne Arundel Co. (MD) Fire Department
Honoring Tradition, Embracing Progress: Shaping the Fire Service for Today’s Workforce
Alisa McDonald
LPC
TEEX
What Do we Do Now? Caring for First Responders After a Disaster or Mass-Casualty Incident
Kyle Matousek
LIEUTENANT
HM Leadership Concepts / The Heat of Command Podcast
Beyond the 4 Walls of the Firehouse: Harnessing Soft Skills for Success on the Fireground
Jason Moon
BATTALION CHIEF
Euless Fire Department
Extreme Ownership and the Fire Service
Digital Designer
Tanner Morgan
CAPTAIN / EMT-P
Grand Prairie Fire Department
Whose Fire Department is it Anyway?
Jeff Morris
FIRE CHIEF
City of Portland Fire Department
Tackling Field Training Challenges
Wendy Norris
CEO
Texas LODD Task Force
What Do we Do Now? Caring for First Responders After a Disaster or Mass-Casualty Incident
Digital Designer
Adam Parkhurst
DRIVER / ENGINEER / PARAMEDIC
Euless Fire Department
Performance Culture: Moving Forward by Redefining Average
Kenneth Prillaman
DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Texas Fire Chiefs Association
Leading Change
James Purdom
CAPTAIN
Grand Prairie Fire Department
The Designated Adult
Digital Designer
Michael Rainey
DECISION SCIENCE LEAD, PRESIDENT
Michael Rainey and Associates
Leaders: Stop Making Data Driven Decisions
Tony Ray
CO-OWNER / FACILITATOR
Experiential Development Resources, LLC
CAPTAIN
College Station Fire Department
INSTRUCTOR/COORDINATOR
TEEX
Speed Dating for Firefighters
(It’s Not What You Think)
Paul Siebert
PUBLIC SECTOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR
TEEX
Fire & Innovation: Engaging Cutting-Edge Research in the Fire Service
Alex Simmons
BATTALION CHIEF
Plano Fire Rescue
The Culture Task Force
Digital Designer
Brent Thorn
ENGINEER PARAMEDIC
Coppell, TX Fire Department
Maybe It’s My Fault…
Digital Designer
Brandon Wade
FIRE CHIEF
Corpus Christi Fire Department
You Want Leadership…Look in the Mirror
Mike Wisko
AGENCY CHIEF
Texas Commission on Fire Protection
Fire Doesn’t Care if You are Paid or Volunteer
Jennifer Yentes
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, DEPT. OF KINESIOLOGY & SPORTS MANAGEMENT
Texas A&M University
Fire & Innovation: Engaging Cutting-Edge Research in the Fire Service
Digital Designer
Digital Designer