Quincy, MA – At its March 6th meeting, the NFPA Board of Directors unanimously elected James M. Shannon president and chief executive officer of NFPA, effective June 1, 2002. Shannon will succeed George D. Miller, who will retire after ten years.
Shannon has served as NFPA senior vice president and general counsel since 1991. He oversees all legal affairs of the association and also has administrative and real estate responsibility for NFPA’s properties. Shannon has had a visible role in the organization’s operations and government affairs, both domestically and abroad. Previously, he was elected Attorney General of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts where he pursued numerous policy issues, including a focus on antitrust. Shannon was senior partner in the Boston law firm Hale & Dorr and from 1979 to 1985, he served in the United States House of Representatives. Shannon earned his BA degree at Johns Hopkins University and his JD at George Washington University School of Law.
“The NFPA Board of Directors Search Committee has conducted a long and demanding search,” said NFPA Board Chair Martin (Mickey) Reiss. “With assistance from Korn/Ferry International and active support from the entire Board of Directors, the Search Committee focused its efforts on identifying and recruiting a leader whose background, personal qualities and skills set comprise the most appropriate fit for NFPA. Jim Shannon is an outstanding model of leadership and equal to the demands necessary to achieve NFPA’s important mission.
“On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank George Miller for his outstanding contributions,” Reiss continued. “He has ably led NFPA over the past decade, and has left a distinctive mark on our association.”
Said Miller, “My tenure as president of NFPA has been a highlight in a long career. It has been a great pleasure to work in support of NFPA’s technical, educational and research endeavors. I have every confidence in Jim Shannon’s ability to further NFPA’s important work and to carry NFPA forward in its notable and most worthy mission.”
