New York State
Association of Fire Chiefs

Providing Service to Those Who Serve

Past Presidents



NYSAFC Past Presidents at the 117th Annual Conference & FIRE 2023 Expo – Back (L to R): John Sroka, Joseph Fahd, Julius Leone, William Owen, Daniel Schwertfeger, and Edward Heberer. Front (L to R): Frank Sylvester, Robert Parese, Donald Corkery, Norman Knapp, Richard Messina, and Robert Kloepfer.
 

1904-1905 Chief John P. Quigley* (Syracuse) 1964-1965 Chief Fred G. Knopfke* (New Hyde Park)
1905-1906 Chief Michael E. Higgins* (Albany) 1965-1966 Chief Charles M. Weaver* (Ithaca)
1906-1907 Chief Joseph M. Hedderman* (Hornell) 1966-1967 Chief Wilfrid L. Parsons* (Cortland)
1907-1908 Chief Charles N. Hogg* (Binghamton) 1967-1968 Chief Raymond J. Brady* (White Plains)
1908-1909 Chief Reuben A. Maxon* (Gloversville) 1968-1969 Chief George E. Briggs* (Norfolk)
1909-1910 Chief George W. Sherwood* (Lowville) 1969-1970 Chief William J. Grace* (Johnson City)
1910-1911 Chief George W. Sherwood* (Lowville) 1970-1971 Chief Frank J. Smith* (Freeport)
1911-1912 Chief Daniel J. Sullivan* (Utica) 1971-1972 Chief John D. Murray* (Oswego)
1912-1913 Chief John Mack* (Glens Falls) 1972-1973 Chief John J. Leary* (Brunswick #1)
1913-1914 Chief John Mack* (Glens Falls) 1973-1974 Chief Walter R. Bell* (New Rochelle)
1914-1915 Chief William W. Bridgeford* (Albany) 1974-1975 Chief George V. Blackstone* (Lakewood)
1915-1916 Chief John H. Espey* (Elmira) 1975-1976 Chief Leo J. Hosler* (Malone)
1916-1917 Chief John H. Espey* (Elmira) 1976-1977 Coord. Robert G. Butterfield* (Tioga County)
1917-1918 Unknown 1977-1978 Chief Francis J. Quinlan* (Cortland)
1918-1919 Chief Thomas C. Collin* (Cohoes) 1978-1979 Chief George E. MacPeek* (Bowmansville)
1919-1920 Chief Richard Purcell* (Richfield Springs & Kingston Shipyard) 1979-1980 Chief Charles F. Houper* (Corning)
1920-1921 Chief Alfred H. Lyon* (Binghamton) 1980-1981 Chief Dominick N. Froio* (Mattydale)
1921-1922 Chief John Mack* (Glens Falls) 1981-1982 Chief Raymond J. White* (Scarsdale)
1922-1923 Chief George W. Bower* (Rome) 1982-1983 Chief Michael Hewitt* (Dix Hills)
1923-1924 Chief Elias J. Shadwick* (Saratoga) 1983-1984 Chief Kenneth E. Green* (Gloversville)
1924-1925 Chief Edwin J. Coyle* (Lockport) 1984-1985 Chief James J. Buckley* (Westmere)
1925-1926 Chief John Gibson* (Mount Vernon) 1985-1986 Coordinator Edward J. Kehn* (Rensselaer Co.)
1926-1927 Chief John Gibson* (Mount Vernon) 1986-1987 Chief Frank P. Stefanelli* (Jamestown)
1927-1928 Chief Frank A. Jaynes* (Rochester) 1987-1988 Chief Barry L. Sens* (Pittsford)
1928-1929 Chief Cornelius J. Casey* (Troy) 1988-1989 Chief James J. Kavanaugh* (East Seneca)
1929-1930 Chief August G. Derra* (Schenectady) 1989-1990 Chief William J. McMahon* (White Plains)
1930-1931 Chief Chris W. Noll* (Poughkeepsie) 1990-1991 Chief Anthony J. Messina* (Bellmore)
1931-1932 Chief Chris W. Noll* (Poughkeepsie) 1991-1992 Chief Neil McNeight* (Fredonia)
1932-1933 Chief John W. McCarthy* (Corning) 1992-1993 Chief Joseph J. Belczak* (North Tonawanda)
1933-1934 Chief William J. Gates* (Glens Falls) 1993-1994 Chief Fred W. Singer* (Vestal)
1934-1935 Chief Joseph L. Murphy* (Kingston) 1994-1995 Chief Carl J. Amato Jr.* (Deer Park)
1935-1936 Chief Michael J. Fleming* (Albany) 1995-1996 Chief Edward W. Heberer (Johnstown)
1936-1937 Chief Edward W. Geiselman* (Syracuse) 1996-1997 Chief Robert G. Burke (Brunswick #1)
1937-1938 Chief Arthur E. Chambers* (Yonkers) 1997-1998 Chief Donald G. Magin* (Spencerport)
1938-1939 Chief Raymond J. Kirsch* (Kenmore) 1998-1999 Chief John H. Cullen (White Plains)
1939-1940 Chief William W. Shoemaker* (Canandaigua) 1999-2000 Chief Clinton L. Soemann* (Evans Center)
1940-1941 Chief George W.M. Brown* (Newburgh) 2000-2001 Chief Arthur W. Lewis* (Freeport)
1941-1942 Chief Osbourne G. Smith* (Larchmont) 2001-2002 Chief Walter J. Schoonmaker (Hartsdale)
1942-1943 Chief Fred F. Knight* (North Tonawanda) 2002-2003 Chief Kenneth M. Pienkowski (Taunton)
1943-1944 Chief James J. Corbett* (Watervliet) 2003-2004 Chief James A. King (Keeseville)
1944-1945 Chief Francis E. O’Boyle* (Middletown) 2004-2005 Chief George R. Maney* (Johnson City)
1945-1946 Chief Rudolph H. Swanson* (Jamestown) 2005-2006 Comm. Paul F. Schonewolf* (Niskayuna #1)
1946-1947 Chief William T. Champ* (Sherburne) 2006-2007 Chief Robert E. Holley (East Quogue)
1947-1948 Chief Ralph F. Rivers* (Hudson Falls) 2007-2008 Chief Charles F. Hajduk* (Jamestown)
1948-1949 Chief Albert W. Yanke* (Eggertsville) 2008-2009 Chief William K. Owen (Stittville)
1949-1950 Chief William H. Wayand* (Scotia) 2009-2010 Chief Norman J. Knapp (Brockport)
1950-1951 Chief Walter J. Buckert* (Brighton) 2010-2011 Chief Alfonso J. Varlaro (Herkimer)
1951-1952 Chief Irving D. Merrick* (Poughkeepsie) 2011-2012 Chief Frank J. Sylvester (Ossining)
1952-1953 Chief Frank F. Love* (Painted Post) 2012-2013 Chief Richard A. Messina (Bellmore)
1953-1954 Chief Louis J. Mosher* (Elmira) 2013-2014 Chief John M. Tighe (Corning)
1954-1955 Chief Lee I. Hunt* (Middletown) 2014-2015 Chief Donald J. Corkery (Sayville)
1955-1956 Chief Leo R. Barry* (Utica) 2015-2016 Chief Daniel J. Schwertfeger (Floyd)
1956-1957 Chief Howard B. Harrington* (Baldwinsville) 2016-2017 Chief Joseph M. Fahd Jr. (Cohoes)
1957-1958 Chief Edward J. MacDonald* (White Plains) 2017-2018 Chief John P. Sroka (Defreestville)
1958-1959 Chief George H. Fornoff Jr.* (Kenmore) 2018-2019 Chief Julius J. Leone Jr. (Fredonia)
1959-1960 Chief Peter E. Lynch* (Mineola) 2019-2020 Chief Robert P. Parese (Little Falls)
1960-1961 Chief Otto E. Friske* (Red Hook) 2020-2021 Chief Lee Shurtleff (Groton)
1961-1962 Chief Charles R. Dorman* (Jamestown) 2021-2022 Chief Robert R. Kloepfer Jr. (Floral Park)
1962-1963 Chief Joseph W. Blackburn* (Eggertsville) 2022-2023 Chief James R. Comstock (Henrietta)
1963-1964 Chief Ralph W. Whiting* (Medina)

*Deceased