The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Board of Directors has appointed three new members to the NFPA Standards Council: Anthony (Tony) C. Apfelbeck, director of the Building and Fire Safety Department for the City of Altamonte Springs, FL; Dwayne Sloan, technical director for the Built Environment Division at Underwriters Laboratories (UL LLC); and Victoria Valentine, director of Engineering & Technical Services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). They are all serving a three-year term effective January 1, 2023.

Anthony C. Apfelbeck has more than 35 years of experience with building and fire codes. He has served the City of Altamonte Springs, FL since 2000, following a 10-year career as a fire marshal with the City of Oviedo, FL. Apfelbeck began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter in 1985 before becoming a fire inspector with Volusia County. In his current position, he oversees new construction plans review, building and fire inspections, fire and arson investigations, code enforcement activities, and special projects. Apfelbeck is also a member of the NFPA Technical Committees on Fundamentals of the Fire Code, Fire Prevention Organization and Development, and Fire Marshal Professional Qualifications. He holds a Master of Arts in public administration from Webster University and a Bachelor of Science in fire service administration from the State University of New York. He is also a four-time graduate of the Harvard Kennedy and Business School Executive Education Programs.

Dwayne Sloan has spent 34 years at UL LLC, where he currently directs the activities of other principal engineers and supports regulatory technical leaders. During his tenure, he has focused on testing, certification and inspection of various fire protection products, building materials, and security products. Sloan is the current chair of UL’s Fire Council and has been recognized as a corporate fellow within the William Henry Merrill Society, named in honor of UL’s founder. He is also the first vice president of ASTM E05, Committee on Fire Standards, and chair of NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems. One of Sloan’s recent focus areas has been exterior wall flammability, a topic for which he has written several articles and presented around the world. Sloan holds a mechanical engineering degree from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. He is also a graduate of UL’s Executive and Technical Leadership programs administered in conjunction with Yale School of Management and MIT Sloan School of Management, respectively.

Victoria Valentine, a licensed professional engineer and a Fellow in the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), is the current director of Engineering & Technical Services for the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA). Serving the fire sprinkler industry and fire protection community for more than 20 years, Valentine has focused on working with non-profit associations concentrating on professional qualifications, codes and standards development, and training programs to ensure quality in fire protection systems. Throughout her career, she has written for many publications and presented on fire protection systems to a wide variety of audiences. She continues to be involved with many organizations, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Fire Sprinkler Association, NFPA, and the SFPE, among others. Over the years, she has served and continues to serve on many NFPA technical committees, including NFPA 13 Hanging and Bracing of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems, NFPA 101/5000 Fundamentals of Safety to Life/Building Code, and NFPA 550/551 Fire Risk Assessment Methods. Valentine received both a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in fire protection engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).

In other NFPA Standards news, Standards Council member James Quiter will now serve as the Council Chair. Additionally, members Mike Crowley of Coffman Engineers, Inc. was reappointed for a second three-year term, and Michael Johnston of National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) has received a one-year extension. These reappointments also began Jan. 1, 2023.

The NFPA Standards Council, appointed by the NFPA Board of Directors, is comprised of 13 members. The responsibilities of the Council include overseeing NFPA standards development activities, ensuring compliance with the NFPA Regulations and Rules, and serving as the appeals body over matters related to standards development.