Our Advocacy Team
Vickie Pritchett
Vice President/Executive Officer
pritchett@nfsa.org
Connect with Vickie
Vickie Pritchett became involved in the fire service in 1997. Vickie served on the Board of Directors for the Pleasant View Volunteer Fire Department from 1998-2013, and was awarded lifetime membership into PVVFD in December of 2013. Vickie served as the Community Development Liaison for the Town of Pleasant View and Executive Director of the Joint Economic & Community Development Board of Cheatham County at the time she began her service to the local volunteer fire department. During this time she was instrumental in bringing fire service officials, builders and developers, and elected officials together. This coordination resulted in a zero square foot fire sprinkler ordinance for the town in 2001, and county-wide in 2006.
Vickie’s dedication to the improvement of quality of life, passion for the community, and her ability to bring people together makes her the “spark plug” and advocate of fire sprinkler requirements at the local, state, and federal level. She has presented across the state of Tennessee and the nation. She has worked in Washington D.C. to promote fire protection issues and to highlight the differences that can be made by fire sprinklers and the legislation that requires them.
Vickie is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and received her MBA from Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management. She is a VCOS Symposium committee member, Board Member of the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition, Board member of the IAFC Fire & Life Safety Section, Board Member of Common Voices, and is a member of both NFPA and ICC.
Vickie currently serves as Vice President/Executive Officer of the National Fire Sprinkler Association
Gary L. West, MBA
Director of Government Relations
west@nfsa.org
Connect with Gary
Gary West is the Director of Field Operations and Government Relations for the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). His career expands over 40 years in local and state government focused on fire protection and emergency services. West is a former local fire marshal, fire chief, statewide fire and emergency management consultant and Tennessee State Fire Marshal. He holds many professional certifications including certified building inspector, fire inspector and Chief Code Analyst. Gary West also served under Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam as the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Commerce and Insurance until his retirement in April 2018.
Joining NFSA in 2018 allowed Chief West to continue his passion as a visionary for reducing deaths, injuries, and property loss from fire. His background in government relations, managing people and business operations is a natural fit in managing field operations for NFSA across the country. His knowledge in saving lives through fire prevention efforts and advocacy has made him a leader in working legislative issues and promoting the fire sprinkler industry. Gary’s networking and relationships with State Fire Marshals across the country has also benefited in the support for the widespread acceptance of the fire sprinkler concept.
West’s educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Tusculum University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Lincoln Memorial University. His success has earned him many awards but one of the most recognized accomplishments has been in the development of a state mutual aid system for deploying fire resources to disasters. He has also worked on the national level with FEMA and the International Association of Fire Chiefs to develop mutual aid systems across the country. He is a recipient of the prestigious H.D. Crossnine Award from the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs and received a Vice Presidential Citation from the University of Tennessee. In 2018, he was awarded the National Association of State Fire Marshals’ Olin Greene Outstanding Fire Prevention Service Award. West is a graduate of both the Tennessee Government Executive Institute and LEAD Tennessee. He is a past Chair on the International Codes Council Fire Membership Committee, serves as a former Board Member and Secretary/Treasurer for the National Association of State Fire Marshals, as well as serving on several other state organizations in leadership roles.
