John S. Butler has been the Fire Chief for Fairfax County, Virginia, since September 2018. He formerly served as fire chief for Howard County, Maryland, and was the first fire chief to have held every rank within that department, retiring in 2018 after twenty-five years. Chief Butler is a nationally registered paramedic, holds a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, as well as certificates from Harvard University, the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program, and IAFC Fire Service Executive Development Institute (FSEDI). He co-chairs the IAFC’s Diversity Executive Leadership Program (iDELP). Chief Butler holds CFO, CEMSO, CTO, and FM designations awarded by the Commission on Professional Credentialing. Chief Butler is a commissioner on the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) and is a member of the National Fire Academy Board of Visitors. He is a retired U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant with over 20 years of active and reserve duty, including two combat action tours.