2026 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM
APRIL 21 - 24, 2026 | SEASIDE, CA
2026 FDAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE & LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM*
*Agenda is not final and is subject to change.
2026 FDAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE & LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
*Agenda is not final and is subject to change.
Leadership Symposium –
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
8:00 am - 8:30 am
Welcome Breakfast
Sponsored by FRMS
8:30 am - 9:45 am
A Fire Chief’s Worst Day - Before, During, and After
• Chief Mike Kraus (ret.), City of Modesto
• Mike Kraus Leadership
9:45 am - 10:00 am
Coffee Break
Sponsored by 1582
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Rethinking EMS CQI Workflows: From Manual Chart
Review to Data-Supported Oversight
• Nick Bakos, Solutions Consultant, First Due
11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Fire Service Funding for BESS and Photo Voltaic Energy
• Chief Dustin Hail, Fresno County Fire
• Chief Jeff Gilbert, Williams Fire Protection Authority
• Scott Murtishaw, Executive Director of CESA
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Lunch
1:15 pm - 2:15 pm
Lead Simply – How to Create That Special Team of People
• Chief Steve Kovacs (ret.), Murphys FPD
• Chief Steve Hall (ret.), Central FPD
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
100 Square Feet: The Next Generation of Early Wildfire Response
• Stuart Landesberg, Seneca
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Dessert Break
Sponsored by PARS
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Save Time and Money with Cooperative Purchasing
• Crosby Grindle, President of Cooperative Services
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm
The Firehouse Nobody Wants to Leave: Leadership That Fuels Recruitment & Retention
• Dr. Jeff Spooneybarger
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Exhibitor Welcome Reception
Pre-Conference –
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
8:00 am – 10:00 am
SB 827 Compliance Training: Essential Fiscal and Financial Oversight for Public Agency Officials
• Jennifer Bradlee, BBK Attorneys at Law
• Xenia Bradford, Attorneys at BBK Law
10:00 am – 12:15 pm
Board Leadership in Action: Effective Governance, Brown Act, and AI
• Arielle Percival, Lozano Smith
• Nick Clair, Lozano Smith
12:15 pm - 1:15 pm
Lunch
1:15 pm - 3:15 pm
AB 1234: Ethics Training
• Jenica Maldonado, Hanson Bridgett LLP
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm
Dessert Break Sponsored by PARS
3:30 pm – 5:30 pm
Respect in the Fire Service: Preventing Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation
• Tony G. Carvahlo, LCW
5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Exhibitor Welcome Reception
Conference Day 1–
Wednesday, April 22, 2026
8:45 am – 9:30 am
Opening Ceremonies and Welcome + FDAC Annual Membership Meeting and Elections
• President Don Butz, Lakeside FPD, FRMS, FAIRA
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Opening Keynote: Defining and Delivering Public Value: Reconnecting Mission, Measurement, and Community Expectations –
• Jacob Green, Jacob Green & Assoc.
• Chief Chris Tubbs, Southern Marin FD
10:30 am – 10:45 am
Coffee Break
Sponsored by BAER
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
State Fire Officials & Cal OES Update
12:30 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Fighting Fire with Funding
• FDAC President Chief Don Butz, Lakeside FPD
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Outcomes That Actually Matter to the Community: Even If They Don’t Know It
• Micheal Despain, A.P. Triton LLC
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Networking Reception
Conference Day 2 –Thursday, April 23, 2026
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Mutual Aid Summit
• Chief Eric Walder, Waterloo Morada Fire District
10:30 am – 11:30 am
From Numbers to Action: Making Finance Work for Fire Service Leadership
• Leah Harris, San Miguel Fire & Rescue
10:30 am – 11:30 am
From the Shadows to the Frontlines: How LAFCOs Are Powering Fire District Success
• Joe Serrano, Santa Cruz LAFCO
11:30 am – 11:45 am
Coffee Break
Sponsored by Brycer
11:45am – 12:45 pm
EMS Chapter 1 Updates: Protecting Fire-Based EMS
• Chief Bernard Molloy II, Murrieta Fire & Rescue, CalChiefs
11:45 am – 12:45 pm
Artificial Intelligence in the Fire Service: A Leadership Perspective
• Maurice “Mo” Johnson, Fire Chief (retd.), Strategic Public Safety Solutions
12:45 pm – 1:45 pm
Lunch
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
A Leaders Guide to Storytelling
• Chief Chris Tubbs, Southern Marin FD
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Sonoma County Measure H - The Fire Safety Measure
• Chief Steve Akre, Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association
• Dana Hampson, Sonoma County Fire Chiefs Association
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm The Assault on Safety
• Greg Rogers, National Fire Protection Association
2:45 pm – 3:45 pm
Disciplining Safety and Non-Safety Employees: A Roadmap for Fire District Leaders
• Ruth Bond, AALRR
2026 FDAC ANNUAL CONFERENCE & LEADERSHIP SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE
*Agenda is not final and is subject to change.
3:45 pm – 4:00 pm
Dessert Break
Sponsored by Ridgeline Municipal Strategies, LLC
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Strategic Firepower: Fiduciary Guidance for 457 Plans in Fire Districts
• Taylor Boyd, The Baldwin Group
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Our Amazing Fire District Law: How to put the powers and possibilities to use
Bill Adams, Emergency Services Advisors
Conference Day 3 – Friday, April 24, 2026
Day 3: Friday, April 24th Conference
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Acute and Chronic Care of Electric Vehicle Fire Battery
Exposure in Firefighters: Best practices
• Dr. Chris Holder, Wild Oak Medicine Integrative Healers Action Network
9:30 am – 11:00 am
Firefighters of Character
• Dave Anderson, Anderson Leadership Solutions, LLC
11:00 am – 11:10 am
Closing Remarks
