VCOS Professional Coaching & Problem Solving
Friday, November 15
VCOS Symposium in the Sun offers personal coaching and problem solving opportunities to interested attendees. Coaching sessions are available for individuals or small teams to discuss challenges, gain guidance, and provide growth.
You must be a full conference registrant to patriciate. Sign up for a timeslot early - limited slots available!
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COACHING
As a fire service leader, you are on a journey. Sometimes the journey is smooth while other times it is downright tough. Learning to negotiate the rough roads of your journey is imperative to your success. The benefits of speaking to our coaches gives you the ability to gain a fresh and informative perspective on the challenges you may be facing.
This is your opportunity to have one on one or small group conversation with experienced coaches who want to help make your journey a little easier. Gain professional learning experiences to support your professional advancement, wherever you are in your career. Our team will provide guidance and suggestions based on your personal talents, credentials, and experience to help you realize your individual or group goals.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Our experienced team of coaches will listen to your situation or challenge facing your organization and provide feedback specifically tailored to your needs. Discussions can be based on a specific issue, or broader and more strategic in nature. This gives participants the opportunity to hear fresh, objective, and confidential perspectives on local challenges.
MEET THE COACHING TEAM
Vickie Pritchett became involved in the fire service in 1997. Vickie served on the Board of Directors for the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department from 1998-2013, and was awarded lifetime membership into PVVFD in December of 2013. Vickie served as the Community Development Liaison for the Town of Pleasant View and Executive Director of the Joint Economic & Community Development Board of Cheatham County at the time she began her service to the local volunteer fire department. During this time she was instrumental in bringing fire service officials, builders and developers, and elected officials together. This coordination resulted in a zero square foot fire sprinkler ordinance for the town in 2001, and county-wide in 2006.
Vickie’s dedication to the improvement of quality of life, passion for the community, and her ability to bring people together makes her the “spark plug” and advocate of fire sprinkler requirements at the local, state, and federal level. She has presented across the state of Tennessee and the nation. She has worked in Washington D.C. to promote fire protection issues and to highlight the differences that can be made by fire sprinklers and the legislation that requires them.
Vickie is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and received her MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management. She is a VCOS Symposium committee member, Board Member of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Board member of the IAFC Fire & Life Safety Section, Board Member of Common Voices, and is a member of both NFPA and ICC.
Vickie currently serves as Vice President/Executive Officer of the National Fire Sprinkler Association.
Tim Holman is a 47 year veteran of Fire & EMS. He currently serves as chief of the German Township Fire & EMS in West Central Ohio. He has conducted training programs or leadership, fire and EMS management and safety issues throughout the United States.
Tim graduated with honors from Ottawa University in Kansas. He has an extensive background in health care management, the fire service and organizational development. He is a member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (EMS Section And VCOS Section), the Ohio Fire Chiefs and the National Association of EMTs.
Fire Chief magazine named him Fire Chief of the Year in 2002. He is a past commissioner of the Center for Public Safety Excellence. He also serves as an advisory board member for Clark State Community College.
Tim has over 500 hours of training in active shooter hot zone response. He has written numerous articles and he has published two books on leadership and one on team building. He co-authored The Chief Fire Officer Desk Reference (Jones & Bartlette) and The Leadership Guide For Volunteers (Jones & Bartlette).
Donna Black has been active in the fire service for over 20 years. She began her career in 1997 as a volunteer, earning her way through the ranks (as both a paid and volunteer firefighter), culminating in 2006 when she was selected as the fire chief for the Town of Duck.
Chief Black received her Bachelor of Science degree from Ithaca College and went on to obtain her Master of Arts from the University of Georgia. She graduated the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer (EFO) Program in 2011. While attending the EFO program, her study focused on evaluating and improving the operations of the Duck Fire Department. After collaborating with the town manager, and educating both the town council and community about fire operations, Chief Black justified the necessity of procuring career firefighter positions. These proactive changes increased the level of service for the town and shaped the Duck Fire Department into a thriving combination department. Chief Black holds a post-graduate Certificate in Community Preparedness & Disaster Management from the Gillings School of Public Health at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and authored the Town of Duck’s Emergency Operations Plan. She currently holds the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation. Chief Black has served on several boards including the Volunteer Combination Officers Section, Council for Future Volunteer Firefighters (vice chairperson) and FRI Program Planning Committee. Most recently Chief Black was chosen to co-chair the Women Fire Chiefs Council. She continues to advocate for highly effective and inclusive volunteer and combination fire departments.
Eddie Buchanan began his fire service career in 1982 and retired as assistant chief with Hanover Fire & EMS in Richmond, VA in May, 2022. He is a past president of the International Society of Fire Service Instructors and is the 2015 recipient of the George D. Post, Instructor of the Year Award from the ISFSI. He serves on the executive advisory board of Fire Engineering Magazine and FDIC and is author of the Volunteer Training Officer's Handbook from Pennwell Publishing. He serves on the NFPA Technical Committee on Fire Service Training and the NFPA 1700: “Guide for Structural Firefighting” Committee. He is a past board member of the Volunteer/Combination Officer's Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and serves on a variety of advisory boards and committees for the fire service industry.
Norvin Collins served as chief of the department for 15 years, with two separate combination fire departments in Oregon and Washington, and over three and a half decades in public safety. He previously served as firefighter/paramedic, lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, and division chief at Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Oregon’s second-largest fire department. Chief Collins has held various leadership and operational positions as part of a FEMA NIMS ICS response system. Chief Collins presents nationally on a variety of leadership and development topics including recruitment and retention, critical thinking, and leading with an understanding of individual and organizational personalities. A consultant for organizational development, strategic planning, and leadership, Chief Collins has served in various roles from elected IAFC VCOS board member, SITS planning committee, KnoxBox advisory committee, and many others. Chief Collins is a doctoral candidate focusing on the utilization of crisis canines for mental fortitude. He holds a master’s in psychology with a specialization in organizational leader development, a bachelor’s in fire service administration, and executive fire officer credentials through the National Fire Academy. He holds numerous fire operations certifications and has published papers on various fire service topics as well as an article on the application of survey data in critical decision-making and on mental wellness awareness in public safety.
