Ian Bennett
Ian Bennett is the National Local Assistance State Team (LAST) Coordinator for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. In addition, he coordinates the Taking Care of Our Own program and the Unformed Peer Support Programs. Bennett has been associated with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation since 2001 serving as a member of the planning section of […]
Chief W. Keith Brower, Jr.

Chief W. Keith Brower, Jr. has been a Special Projects Consultant for the Foundation since June 2019. His primary role is to represent the Foundation on the Vision 20/20 Steering Committee however he is also responsible for developing content and training to increase awareness for Life Safety Initiatives #14 and #15. In 2020, Chief Brower […]
Scott Burnette

Chief Scott Burnette from Hendersonville, North Carolina (Retired) joins the Line-of-Duty Death Outreach and Research Program as deputy to Chief Ian Bennett (Retired). Chief Burnette started his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter for the Mills River (NC) Fire Department in 1988. He became a career firefighter with the City of Asheville (NC) Fire […]
John Kane

John Kane serves as the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation’s Advocate Program Coordinator. John spent 21 years with the Syracuse (NY) Fire Department, retiring in 2022 as the Deputy Chief of the Special Operations Division. The SFD is an ISO Class 1 fire department and was awarded the NFFF Seal of Excellence in 2021. After retirement, John […]
Judy Kirk
Ms. Judy Kirk joins the Fire Programs Team and will be lending her expertise in events management and special projects. Judy brings more than three decades of experience in grants management, non-profits development and fundraising, and events planning. Her career arc has taken her through a wide range of organizations, including the International Association of […]
Caitlin McGuire

Caitlin McGuire joined the Foundation’s Fire Service Programs team on February 1, 2021, as the new Events Management and Special Projects consultant. She has an extensive background in grant writing, grant management, conference planning, and program management in the nonprofit world. Caitlin earned a Bachelor’s Degree from George Mason University, is the daughter of a […]
Sonya Roth

Sonya Roth joined the Foundation in 2012 as the Event Coordinator and Travel Manager. She coordinates travel on behalf of the Foundation and serves as the liaison between our firefighter community and travel agency. As Event Coordinator, she negotiates contracts with hotels and manages meeting, lodging and banquet needs. Her prior experience includes a position […]
Vickie Taylor

Vickie Taylor is a licensed clinical social worker who has served as the behavioral health consultant and the coordinator of the Family Day activities for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend since the Foundation was created in 1992. In addition, she is an instructor for the Taking Care of Our Own® training program. She lives […]
David Wiklanski

David Wiklanski is a Captain for the City of New Brunswick, NJ Fire Department. He has been an advocate for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation for over a decade. In addition to being an advocate, David has worked as a Behavioral Health Specialist, teaching the Taking Care of Our Own program, and working with the […]