NVFC Announces Dr. Candice McDonald Will be the New Deputy CEO of the Organization

May 31, 2022

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is pleased to announce that Dr. Candice McDonald will join staff as deputy chief executive officer. In this role, she will assist CEO Sarah Lee in managing the internal operations of the NVFC, including grants oversight, budget development, organizational planning, and more.  

“We are very excited for Dr. Candice McDonald to join the NVFC as a key part of our staff leadership team,” said Lee. “Candice brings a myriad of experience and expertise that will help the NVFC grow and move our initiatives forward. I am confident she will be an asset to our team and to the emergency responder community that we serve.”  

McDonald’s involvement in the NVFC dates to 2010, when she became one of the organization’s first Fire Corps State Advocates. In addition to her work with Fire Corps, she has served as an instructor for the NVFC, facilitated webinars and online events, written numerous articles, and provided subject matter expertise in various areas. 

McDonald holds a doctorate in business administration with a specialty in homeland security, a master’s degree in organizational leadership, and a bachelor’s degree in organizational management. She also has an extensive professional background in marketing. She currently works as a federal special agent for NASA in the Office of Protective Services, where she utilizes skills including grant and project management, budgeting, and staff management. In addition, she is an adjunct professor at Eastern Gateway Community College, serves as a recruitment and retention expert for the U.S. Fire Administration, and has taught recruitment and retention courses across the U.S.  

McDonald has been active in the volunteer fire and emergency services for almost two decades, serving as a volunteer firefighter, EMS chief officer, instructor, and fire inspector. She is the incoming president of the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Firemen’s Association, a trustee for Women in Fire, and a member of the FDIC/Fire Engineering Advisory Board. 

Please join the NVFC in welcoming Dr. McDonald to the NVFC staff. She will start her new role with the NVFC on July 6.