The Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF or Foundation), the research affiliate of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), has announced the selection of three new trustees: Kees Both, manager of Standards and Regulations, ETEX; Maria B. Marks, Manager of Industry Relations, Siemens Industry; and Tom Nappo, Vice President, Global Property and Marine Risk Control, CNA.

Kees Both brings decades of experience in fire testing and standards development. As the manager of standards & regulation at ETEX, headquartered in Belgium, he is responsible for representation in a variety of international standardization bodies, focusing on fire safety topics, including the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), the European Organization for Technical Assessment (EOTA), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ASTM, NFPA, and Underwriters Laboratories (UL), as well as in several international trade associations. He is also the former president of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE) Europe and is currently acting as a member of the board of directors of SFPE Europe and of the Benelux Chapter. Both received his PhD and MSc in civil engineering and fire safety from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Maria B. Marks, who brings more than 30 years of experience in the fire life safety and security industry, is responsible for industry relations at Siemens Industry. In addition to sitting on several NFPA technical committees, Marks is active with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s Life Safety, Security and Emergency Communications Section and the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), serving on the SFPE Editorial Board and the SFPE Foundation Board of Governors. A graduate of Wellesley College, Marks hold NICET IV in fire alarm and certified fire protection specialist (CFPS) certifications.

Tom Nappo has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, and is currently responsible for strategy and leadership of the risk control function for property, inland, and ocean marine at CNA. Prior to joining CNA, Nappo held various roles in property risk consulting within the insurance industry. His diverse responsibilities included teaching courses at a fire protection laboratory, serving as a senior fire protection specialist, and conducting post-catastrophe damage assessments. Nappo is a professional member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), a certified fire protection specialist (CFPS), holds an associate in risk management (ARM) designation, and has served as an alternate technical committee member on several NFPA technical committees.

The FPRF is a separate, independent, nongovernmental organization with its own officers and nine trustees. The FPRF Board of Trustees manages the overall business of the Foundation, including providing fiduciary oversight, and delivers input and guidance for strategic planning, research priorities, and future growth of the Foundation. 

The Foundation’s team of six effectively plans and manages a few dozen projects at any given time and communicates findings in support of the NFPA mission. Over the last 40 years, FPRF research reports have been downloaded by safety-focused practitioners in more than 160 countries. Projects cover everything from fire suppression systems, emergency response, public policy, public education, detection and signaling, industrial hazards, wildfire, electrical, and building safety.