Appointed in 2026, Ross Ashley is the president and CEO of the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) aglobal self-funded nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property, and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards worldwide.

Ross Ashley brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across public safety, emergency management, intelligence, government, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations. His background includes senior emergency management leadership, serving as Assistant Administrator for FEMA’s Grants Program Directorate, founding and leading a public safety data company, and serving as CEO of a major human services nonprofit. Ashley is also a retired Air National Guard Reserve Officer.

Keith is the retired president and CEO of leading global safety company, Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and UL LLC, roles that he held from 2005 until 2020. In this role, Keith was instrumental in engineering a comprehensive M&A strategy, expanding UL from compliance services to digital products. Prior to UL, his career comprised 23 years at GE Healthcare and 8 years with Medtronic. Keith served 4 years as Chair of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council and 12 years as a Director of the US-China Business Council; 11 as Secretary-Treasurer. He is a former chairman of the NFPA board and has been recognized for his promotion of innovation and new technologies within the industry.

Michael is a former member of the Board of Directors at NFPA. Michael brings more than 20 years of broad M&A experience in international and emerging markets, with previous roles at United Technologies Corporation, now RTX, that included being a key executive to build the UTC Fire & Security division through M&A as well as leading the codes and standards team for the fire, security, and HVAC businesses. He is now the founder and CEO of Geosites Corp. Michael received an MBA from Yale School of Management, a JD from Boston College Law School and a BA from the University of Notre Dame.

Russ is the Executive Chairman of Telgian Holdings, Inc. an international fire protection and corporate security services organization. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, holds a Level IV certification from NICET in Water-Based System Layout, and is a Certified Fire Protection Specialist. He is a licensed contractor with over 45 years of industry experience.

Russ is a former chair of the NFPA Board of Directors, currently serves on the NICET (National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies) Board of Governors as second vice-chair, and sits on a number of AFSA (American Fire Sprinkler Association) governance committees and chapter boards. Russ is a recognized industry expert, a sought-after speaker and trainer, and has authored numerous training guides and articles for industry related publications.

Mike joined NFPA in 2025 as Chief Financial Officer. Mike is a global finance and operations leader with 30+ years of experience in driving global business growth, leveraging technology, and leading innovation. He has supported non-profits in CFO and operational roles as well as senior global roles in public and private equity led within the financial services industry.

Mike specializes in combining strategic perspective with tactical implementation and supporting business needs through efficient systems and processes.  He earned his MBA at Fordham University

Suzanne joined NFPA in 2017 as associate general counsel and now serves as vice president and general counsel. She oversees legal affairs for the organization.

Suzanne holds a B.A. in history from the College of the Holy Cross and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School.

Carlos is president of NFPA Global Solutions™, leading efforts to advance safety with new offerings via both acquisition and organic creation of businesses, with a focus on compliance solutions, advisory services, and digital technologies. He is the former NFPA vice president of Strategic Initiatives. Previously, Carlos was vice president and general manager of Assets and Sustainability Performance at Underwriters Laboratories (UL), where he oversaw the company’s digital and consulting business focusing on energy transition, healthy buildings, sustainability, and health and safety. 


In his 30-year executive career, Carlos led global businesses in the Energy, Electrical, Technology, Industrial, and Built Environment sectors. He drove aggressive growth strategies through customer centricity, innovation, and more than 30 acquisitions. Carlos is a board member of the C2C Product Innovation Institute, mentoring startups on Energy & Climate-Tech in the mHUB and Plug-and-Play incubator centers. He has a broad global perspective having worked in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. and speaks four languages.