My name is Craig Hooper. I’m a retired member of Local 1762, Eastside Fire and Rescue. I spent the last 13+ years as a Battalion Chief. I retired 6/25 after serving 34 years. I grew up in Bellevue and currently live in Maple Valley. I am also a Fire Commissioner for KCFD43. My journey...

My name is Molly Welsh and I am a regional representative for the WSCFF Cancer Foundation and member of Local 1762. I became a career firefighter with Eastside Fire & Rescue 4 years ago after transitioning from academia as a professor of physiology.  Teaching was intellectually stimulating, but not as fulfilling as the 9 years I...

unions-america.com For more than 25 years Unions-America has been helping labor organizations improve communication, increase membership, and provide online tools in the digital age. Darius has been the lead technical architect for systems built by Unions-America since it began. He has worked with thousands of locals, state associations, and international unions to build custom...

Doug is the Director of Operations in the Office of the General Secretary where he oversees a variety of tasks including local compliance, GST communications, and the IAFF print shop. He has been in that role since 2021.  He has been with the IAFF since 2017 when he started as a Strategic Campaigns Specialist....

I started working at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in April of 2012 as a fundraiser for the state of Montana. I rose through the ranks to be an Executive Director in 2015 and eventually taking a promotion to the Fire Fighter Partnerships team in 2018. With this promotion, I moved from Billings, MT...

Blaine began his career in the fire service in 2011 with the Moscow Fire Department in Idaho. In 2016 he worked as a paramedic with AMR before joining Spokane County Fire District 8 in 2018, where he currently serves as a firefighter-paramedic. Blaine has been actively involved in union leadership for several years, serving...

www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-ragucci-238a551b5 Kelsey Ragucci is a Senior Instructional Designer with the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), where she develops training programs that support fire fighter safety, union leadership development, and member education. With a background in education as a teacher, instructional coach, and school leader, she brings expertise in adult learning and practical training...

Sean Leonard has been the Executive Director of the Washington State Public Employment Relations Commission since April 2026. Sean served as a Labor Relations Adjudicator / Mediator with PERC from 2016 to 2026. Prior to coming to PERC, Sean worked for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace and the International Federation of...

Jacob White is the new Executive Director for the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ Plan 2 Retirement Board. Since 2018 Jacob has worked for the Board as the Senior Research and Policy Manager, working closely with the WSCFF. Jacob has 19 years of experience working for the State of Washington, including serving as...

bouldercrest.orgJoe grew up in swampy Central Florida and spent his teenaged years preparing for a career in law enforcement. He served in the Marion County Sheriff’s Office Explorer Program from age 14-17 and co-founded the North Marion High School Criminal Justice Club. Just as he was getting to a decision-point about college and a...