DALLAS - The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) announces that R. Donald Kaufman, president and owner, Kaufman Fire Protection, Albuquerque, N.M., has been elected Chairman of the 2009-2010 AFSA Board of Directors.
Kaufman was elected Chairman of the Board during the October 14 Board of Directors' meeting at the AFSA Convention in San Diego, Calif., and was installed at the close of the 2009 convention.
With over 30 years in the sprinkler business, Kaufman was instrumental in starting AFSA's New Mexico Chapter and has served as president of that chapter, as well as chairman of the New Mexico State Board for Professional Engineers and Surveyors and two terms as chairman of the New Mexico State Apprentice Council. He is an active member of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) and is also a member of the American Society of Professional Estimators. Kaufman is passionate about apprentice training and safety and served several years as co-chair of AFSA's Apprentice & Education Committee. In addition to his leadership role on the board, he serves as chairman of the Center for Life Safety Education and of the AFSA Staff Advisory Committee.
As Chairman of the Board, Kaufman has also assumed chairmanship of the AFSA Executive Committee. Other officers elected to serve on the 2009-2010 Executive Committee are:
First Vice Chairman Dwight E. Bateman, Southeast Fire Protection, Inc., Houston, Texas;
Second Vice Chairman Joseph A. Heinrich, Bamford Fire Sprinkler Co., Salina, Kan.;
Treasurer Thomas J. McKinnon, Aegis Fire Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, Calif.;
Secretary Linda M. Biernacki, Fire Tech Systems, Inc., Shreveport, La.; and
Immediate Past Chairman Lawrence J. Thibodeau, Hampshire Fire Protection Co., Inc., Londonderry, N.H.
In the 2009 election, Don Albares, American Sprinkler Co., Inc., Metairie, La.; Dwight E. Bateman, Southeast Fire Protection, Inc., Houston, Texas; Joseph A. Heinrich, Bamford Fire Sprinkler Co., Salina, Kan.; Thomas J. McKinnon, Aegis Fire Systems, Inc., Pleasanton, Calif.; and William J. Rhodes, H.F.P. Fire Protection Services, Inc., Westfield, Mass., were all re-elected to serve on the Board of Directors.
Each year, one-third of AFSA's Board of Directors is elected to a three-year term, providing continuity in the association's governing body. The Board consists of seven Regional Directors (one for each of the seven membership regions), At-Large Directors and the Immediate Past Chairman. For more information, visit www.firesprinkler.org/.