The Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), the world’s leading professional society for fire protection and fire safety engineering, has named Shamim Rashid-Sumar, PE, FSFPE, as its 2026 president and Shaun Kelly, Peng, CEng, MIEI, PMSFPE, as president-elect.

Shamim Rashid-Sumar is senior vice president of fire codes and standards at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. She works with national model building codes and international standards organizations to advocate for resilience and sustainability in the built environment and provides technical support on codes, standards, regulations, and legislation at the national, state, and local levels. She serves on multiple committees, including the ICC Performance Code Committee, ASTM E05 Fire Standards Technical Committee, and NFPA technical committees on fire tests, building construction, and fire protection features.

Shaun Kelly is a senior fire protection engineer with more than 20 years of international experience. After earning a BSc in Fire Technology from Atlantic Technological University in Ireland, he led a fire engineering consultancy there before moving to Canada in 2010 to join ARENCON INC., where he became managing principal and partner. His expertise includes compliance reviews, code consulting, fire protection systems, hazardous processes, and performance-based design, with projects across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. He holds multiple professional engineering credentials internationally.

Jimmy Jönsson, FSFPE, has been elected secretary-treasurer. Virginia Charter, PhD, PE, FSFPE; John Frank, PE, CFPS, FSFPE; Craig Vesely, PE, CET, PMSFPE; and Karl Wallasch, CEng, PMSFPE, have been elected to SFPE’s board of directors. Each term begins Jan. 1, 2026.

“SFPE’s strength lies in the dedication and vision of its volunteer leaders, and we are proud to welcome our newly elected board of directors,” said Chris Jelenewicz, PE, FSFPE, CEO of SFPE. “These accomplished professionals bring diverse perspectives and deep technical expertise that reflect the global fire protection engineering community. Their leadership will be instrumental as SFPE continues to advance innovation, support the profession, and expand our impact in improving fire safety worldwide.”

John Denhardt, PE, ET, FSFPE, CWBSP (2024–2026); Mark Hopkings, PE, FSFPE; Elizabeth (Carcone) Pennacchio, PE, PMSFPE; Jeffrey Tubbs, PE, FSFPE; and Michael Wojcik, PE, PMSFPE continue their service on SFPE’s board. Nominations for the 2027 leadership roles will be solicited in the coming months.