I served as President of IAFF Local 2284 in McAlester for 16 years.  I attended my first PFFO Convention in January of 1986 in Ponca City.  I was elected to serve on the PFFO Executive Board in 1990 and have served or chaired most of the committees.  I have been the Executive Vice-President for the last 8 years.  I am experienced as an advocate in negotiations, mediations and arbitrations.  I have chaired the PFFO Medical Insurance Committee for the last 13 years.

I was appointed IAFF State Representative in 1994 by 11^th District Vice-President Ernest “Buddy” Mass who also appointed me to serve in the IAFF District Field Service Representative program in 2001.  There are only 26 DFSR’s servicing all 50 states and Canada.  I was re-appointed by our great 11^th District Vice President Roy Longstreet McGhee to proudly serve in this capacity in 2004. The training modules created under General President Schaitberger and delivered under the DFSR program are very helpful and I encourage every member to visit the IAFF Website to experience the on-line learning.

 We look to the Executive Board to provide service on demand.  My plan is to try and present a 2 to 4 hour training module every other month at the PFFO office. The training module or modules will be put out to all the local presidents with the minutes of the PFFO the month before.  If a local wishes to attend a particular class they will be included with the board.

I envision a new era in the way the PFFO will provide service to the locals and its members.  I believe that we will have to diversify our resources, spreading the providers of service over more than just a handful of members.  In Concert with the IAFF philosophy of carrying our message to the locals I hope to provide training in your area that will help you in performing the day to day operations as local officers.  Tom Riddle coined the phrase “You crack the whip, we make the trip” and this will never change.