2025-2026 Board of Directors Voting & Survey

Attention Members,

Voting for the SFPE New England 2025-2026 Board of Directors now open, and will remain open until 5pm on Monday, May 26th. Members can click the link below to vote. The website mechanism for voting is the "Registration" functionality of a typical chapter meeting, so please start the process by clicking the 'Register' button.

If you are viewing this via email you can click this link to get to the registration page: 2025-2026 Board of Directors Voting

Everyone who votes and completes the survey will be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card!

Elections will be split into two sections - returning board members & new board members.

Returning Board Member applicants for the 2025/2026 chapter year are as follows:

Board of Directors

President:                                   Shawn Mahoney, P.E. - NFPA

1st Vice President:                    Jack Murphy, P.E. - Travelers

2nd Vice President:                   Kelly Knopp, P.E. - FM Global

Treasurer:                                   Nicholas Williams, P.E. - Code Red Consultants

Secretary:                                   Jennifer Hoyt, P.E. - Code Red Consultants

Director Position #1:                Dylan Martel, P.E. - Jensen Hughes

Director Position #2: OPEN - See Voting Below              

Director Position #3: OPEN - See Voting Below              

Director Position #4: OPEN - See Voting Below

** Remaining  Director position to be filled with new Board members (see below) **

Christopher LeClair (FM Global) will assume the position of Immediate Past President.

Scholarship Committee

(1) Keith Flanders, P.E. - Howe Engineers (Chair)

(2) Alex Manternach - R.W. Sullivan Engineering

(3) Tanner Burke, P.E. - ACS Group

Fire Department Grant Committee

(1) Brian O'Connor, P.E. - NFPA (Chair)

(2) Dylan Martel, P.E. – Jensen Hughes

(3) Barry Chase – NFPA

(4) Matthew Foley, P.E. – CodeComply .ai

Those running for a position on the Board for the 2025/2026 chapter year are as follows:

Board of Directors - Director Applicants

(1) Stephen Spang - Victaulic

I am eager to join the SFPE New England Board of Directors because I am passionate about advancing the fire protection industry and contributing to the growth of the SFPE community in our region. With more than a decade of experience as a manufacturing salesman in the New England construction industry, I will bring a unique perspective to Board of Directors. Having represented both the passive and active sides of fire protection through my roles at Hilti and Victaulic, I understand the challenges and opportunities that come with these areas of our industry.  My experience has given me valuable insights into how these components work together to enhance safety, and I am excited about the opportunity to apply this knowledge to further SFPE's mission. 

Steve is a Fire Protection Specialist at Victaulic, where he collaborates with engineers, contractors, building owners, and distributors to deliver fire protection solutions. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and brings over a decade of sales experience in the New England construction market.  Steve has developed strong relationships with key accounts and has a deep understanding of fire protection systems and components. He is also an active member of the local chapters of the American Fire Sprinkler Association and National Fire Sprinkler Association. With his diverse experience and commitment to advancing fire protection engineering, Steve is eager to contribute to the SFPE New England Board of Directors.

(2) Maria Cox (Jensen Hughes)

I was very involved in WPI SFPE Student Chapter during my undergrad. I held the position of Public Relations Chair and then later President in my senior year. Through my involvement, I met Jensen Hughes at a networking event which lead to the job I have today, and I have met other students who have the same passion as I do for fire protection. Additionally, I was incredibly grateful to be a recipient of the 2023 A.L. Brown Scholarship from New England SFPE. SFPE has helped shape my college and professional career, and now that I have transitioned from full time student to a full time career, I would like to continue my involvement in SFPE.

I graduated in 2024 with my undergrad in electrical and computer engineering. I passed my FE in April and transitioned from part time to full time at Jensen Hughes in June of 2024. I am in the process of completing my masters in fire protection engineering while working full time. At JH, I work as a code consultant for fire protection/life safety and accessibility projects for primarily  lab/office buildings, higher education buildings, and K-12 schools.

(3) Matthew Penkala (Jensen Hughes)

One of the main reasons I decided to pursue a career in the fire protection field was my desire to make a direct impact on others by saving lives. Since becoming a member of the SFPE New England Chapter in 2023, I have been able to attend many different meetings and events to expand my knowledge, learn new trends, and discover new technologies in the fire protection industry. Serving on the SFPE New England Board of Directors would provide me with the opportunity to take a more engaged role – not only by participating in events, but by helping to organize them, contributing to the advancement of the fire protection industry, and making a meaningful impact through my own efforts.

During my education, I interned with Code Red Consultants for two summers. Upon graduating from WPI in 2023 with a master’s degree in Fire Protection Engineering, I joined Jensen Hughes as a fire protection consultant. Shortly after starting at Jensen Hughes, I sat for and passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, earning the designation of Engineer in Training (EIT). Throughout my time with Code Red Consultants and Jensen Hughes, I have had the opportunity to work on a wide variety of projects across multiple service lines of fire protection engineering. My project work has most frequently involved building and fire code consulting; fire protection and fire alarm system design and testing; smoke control system design and testing; performance-based design and fire modeling; and egress modeling.

(4) Alex Ing (NFPA)

I would like to volunteer my time and experience to helping keep the NEC of SFPE keep running. I normally attend most monthly meetings and can continue to help represent NFPA at the local chapter level.

I am currently a Staff Liaison at NFPA currently responsible for a variety of Industrial and Chemical standards. My undergraduate degree is in Chemical Engineering with a Masters in Fire Protection. I am also Certified Gas Engineer and Professional Engineer in MA for Fire Protection.

Those interested in serving as a Committee Member (Scholarship, Golf, Fire Department Grants) should send an email to president@sfpe-newengland.org by 6/14/24.