People

Servant Leader Shapes Legacy Through Industry Dedication Where leadership is concerned, being asked is much better than asking, because the best leaders are servant leaders. As with any leader—especially those leaders who base their model on listening to others—when Manning Strickland, Sr. spoke, people listened. For over three decades, the …

On behalf of the AFSA Board of Directors and staff, we thank Roland Huggins, P.E. for serving members since 1996, most recently as AFSA’s Senior Vice President, Engineering & Technical Services.  Huggins began his employment with AFSA as Director of Technical Services, later serving as the Department’s Vice President. His …

AFSA’s NextGen Initiative is pleased to announce that Hunter Brendle is the 2019 Honorable Mention winner for the Young Professional of the Year (YPY) award. Brendle is vice president of Brendle Sprinkler Company in Montgomery, Alabama, which was started by his grandfather in 1960.  “I was very surprised and taken …

Designer Dedicated to Education and Expansion of Industry  Stuart Weeks may have fallen into the fire sprinkler industry by chance, but it’s no accident that he’s excelled here. Stuart Weeks, the 39-year-old design manager at American Fire Protection Inc. in Greenville, South Carolina and president of the South Carolina Fire …

AFSA NextGen Launches New Mentor Program  The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), the leading merit shop fire sprinkler trade organization, has empowered its young professional affinity group the NextGen Initiative (NGI) to create a mentoring program, which aims to pair young people in the industry with more established industry experts. …

Nominate Those Who Have Made an Impact on the Fire Sprinkler Industry  The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) recognizes those individuals who have given extraordinary support to furthering the advancement and awareness of fire sprinklers. The prestigious Henry S. Parmelee award, esteemed Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year award, highly …

Burn Survivor Supports, Promotes Fire Protection for All “Every day I come to work and think about the ‘What if?’—What if fire sprinklers were in place? What if there was a smoke detector installed? What if the exit was up-to-code in that building?”  Amy Acton’s thoughts are just a small …

Members Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries As the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) celebrates its 38th anniversary in 2019, we also recognize those members who are celebrating milestone membership anniversaries. The member companies featured have belonged to AFSA for 15 or more years of continuous membership. Several members are celebrating milestone anniversaries …

AFSA Awards Nominations Sought for Industry Leaders The American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) is accepting nominations for its top honors: the prestigious Henry S. Parmelee award, esteemed Fire Sprinkler Advocate of the Year award, and the new yet highly regarded Young Professional of the Year award. The awards will be …

Members Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries As the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) celebrates its 37th anniversary in 2019, we also recognize those members who are celebrating milestone membership anniversaries. The member companies featured have belonged to AFSA for 15 or more years of continuous membership. Several members are celebrating milestone anniversaries …