The NFSA South Central Region includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Your NFSA Regional Team includes NFSA Area Director, John Kauffman, NFSA Regional Manager Cindy Giedraitis, NFSA North Texas Chapter Chair David Welcher, Vice Chair John Pecot, Past Chair Ricky Jackson, NFSA North Texas Chapter Secretary Dale Payne, Treasurer Tate Hitzeman and Officers at Large Jon Lopez and Daniel Merritt.

AREA DIRECTOR – JOHN KAUFFMAN III

In 1976 John H. Kauffman III started in the fire sprinkler industry working at the same company as his father and uncle. In late 1977 he moved to Houston and has been in the fire sprinkler business here ever since. His background in design, sales and management has been across several companies. He was a founding member of the Texas Fire Sprinkler Contractors Association, served as an instructor at the Texas A&M Fireman’s Training School, been an adviser to the State Fire Marshal, served on the Advisory Board of the Houston Chapter of the AGC, is now currently serving as the South Central Area Board of Directors of the National Fire Sprinkler Association, and works continuously to promote the life safety aspects of fire sprinklers across our community. Email John at John@kauffmanco.net

REGIONAL MANAGER – CINDY GIEDRAITIS

Cindy has served as the South Central Regional Manager for NFSA since November 2012. Cindy promotes Fire Sprinklers – as a partner to the Fire Service — in four of the BIGGEST and BEST States of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas through area interest trainings, presentations, coalitions and the NFSA North Texas Chapter!

From August 1999 – 2012, Cindy served as the Public Education Officer for College Station Fire Department that serves Texas A&M, the 5th largest University in the U.S. She provided fire safety and injury prevention education for all College Station residents and visitors. Additionally, she created the yearly “College Station Fire Department Citizen Fire Academy”- a learning program for adults who reside or work in College Station and who want to know more about their fire department. Many of the CSFD Academy graduates have grown more committed to the College Station Fire Department, by choosing to serve as Fire Corps volunteers on the Community Action Response Team (C.A.R.T.) and Citizens Fire Academy Alumni Association. Email Cindy at cindyg@nfsa.org or call 979-324-8934

NFSA NORTH TEXAS CHAPTER

The NFSA North Texas Chapter begins 2015 with a new Board of Directors! Chapter Online elections resulted in the following new Board of Directors:

Chair – David Welcher, Automatic Sprinkler of Texas

Vice Chair – John Pecot, Simplex Grinnell

Past Chair – Ricky Jackson

Treasurer – Tate Hitzeman, Globe Fire Sprinkler Corporation

Secretary – Dale Payne, Northstar Fire Protection of Texas

Officers at Large:

Jon Lopez, Ferguson Fire & Fabrication

Daniel Merritt, Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Company