Veteran's Affairs Plus W/ David L. Washington

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Dave Washington 0:47
day Las Vegas. Good day Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I'm Dave Washington, your host, and I am pleased to have two of my fellow board members of the Clark the Carl Holmes executive development institute on the line. We will talk to them shortly, but I want to just once again, say that I'm grateful to Commander Jeff Jones. He came on last week and gave us an update on when the American Legion Post 10 will be back open. We also had Fay duck and Daniel to tell us about a function that she'll be doing on the 26th down in Helena, Arkansas, and then, of course, Rome, Harry of classic jewels, they got some activities that they do their 10th Anniversary gene. Believe it or not, they're celebrating 10 years of being in business downtown. So with that, Las Vegas, I'd like to introduce and get a little background on again, fellow board members with the Carl Holmes executive development institute, we'll start out with the Fire Commissioner Annette Nancy commission. Just give us a little bit of background. So I know you've been on the show before, but certainly, just give a little background to our listening audience, if

Annette Nance-Holt 1:55
you would. So Fire Commissioner Chicago Fire Department, over four years now in this role. Started out as a firefighter and rolled through the ranks, Lieutenant captain, battalion chief, Deputy District Chief, first woman to be the first Deputy Fire Commissioner and first woman to be the Fire Commissioner. Almost 35 years now on the job, and I still love what I do every day. So thank you for having me on the show.

Dave Washington 2:19
Wow. That's 35 years how time for lies. And I can recall when I didn't realize you were, like, in the third, third class of EDI coming in as a lieutenant and ultimately rolls up through the ranks to to run the entire Chicago Fire Department. That's great. Gene. I know you're, you're an actual veteran. So give a little bit background on that, and then your work with or your retired work as a fire service professional.

Gene Campbell 2:45
First, I wanted to let all your viewers know i just love Annette so Veterans Affairs, plus, you know, I'm an old Road Dog Dave, Air Force veteran Security Police, brought me out here to Nellis, where I started with North Las Vegas. Shortly thereafter, I joined the Las Vegas fire department and went up through the ranks there. That's where I met new Dave as a young airman. Went on to retire from Las Vegas as a deputy chief, went on to Dallas, New Jersey, Pasadena served a little bit with my friend chief Burt, Washington, out there, and then went on to Missouri City, Texas, where I retired as fire chief. So I'm looking forward to sharing a little bit about idiotic All

Dave Washington 3:36
right. Great, great. So we have a number of firefighters that listen to this program and as well as aspiring firefighters. So what I want to do is share with our listening audience about EDI Carl Holmes, executive development institute, session 20, no, not 2024, years with Dillard, but 34 years as an institute. So please share, in fact, commission, if you would just kind of share about the administrative duties that you do and how it has grown in terms of because, from my standpoint as a president, you have turned that or that that particular department around, that everything is so streamlined and works so very well, and we don't have a long line of students as they're trying to register to for the program,

Annette Nance-Holt 4:25
right? So my goal was, when Carl entrusted me to take over the business office, was to make it more efficient and have, like you said, shorter wait times. Because I remember back in the day when we were at Florida A and M and in Clark, Atlanta, we waited in line to register. Now we have technology on our side, of course, and we've learned how to be more efficient. So there, once a student registers for EDI, they will come to the business building, the PSD building at Dillard University, and you'll come there, you'll walk in, you'll give us your name, and after you. Do that. Everything is really fast, and you go from one step to the next. And we actually, besides your tuition that you pay for the conference, you also get giveaways, which is, I mean, it's really a great value for the institute. And then after that, you get your ID picture, and then you get your room assignment. You stay in the dorm room. You actually have the same experience as a student at Dillard university. But the best thing about EDI and being on the Dillard campus and being with so many fire service professionals is the fact that you can network with them, and you can learn so much. You can sit beside people who have actually done it before, and if you aspire to do it, they will help you get there. And I'm an example of that. John Austin helped me out and gave me like, questions on the phone, because he was in New Haven, Connecticut, and so I called that brother up, and he was like, Sure, since I got you, and he gave me a bunch of questions. He said, run yourself through these. What would you do for this? What would you do for that? And then another brother, James Williams, from California, was another brother that helped me out, getting like, my resume together in my letter. So it's not just coming there for that week or that seven days. It's a lifelong relationship with people who actually end up becoming fire chiefs. Were like Dave, I've known Dave a long time, you know, when he was in Vegas. So gene I've known for a long time. So his brothers and sisters that you can always call, and you know, they mentor you. They'll hear you out, because I'm gonna tell you. And Dave say this, being a chief of a department is a lonely job, and so it's pretty good to have somebody to bounce things off of. And Dave, no, my mentor passed away. May he rest in peace. Nick Russell, but I talked to Dave, and I just go through it with him. And, I mean, he hears me out, so it's just something good to have. And it's, you know, it's healthy to get out what's going on with you anyway.

Dave Washington 6:48
That's right. And to your point in it, you know. And I mentioned this as I tried to celebrate all of you guys with my little poems that my daughter wrote for me. You know, Kwame. Kwame hadn't arrived, so I go to his classroom and to John's classroom, and John didn't want to read it. He looked at he said, Oh no, I can't read so somebody else read it. John started crying. I started crying. Same thing with Kwame. And in Kwame, his case, Kwame, we sit on, remember we had those little modules we sit on where the professional building in there. We sit out on the back. We sit out on the back. And he asked me about 10 questions, three of them, I didn't have a clue, but I start crying. I said, Man, if I nail them up, if I go and study and research these other three questions, man, whatever they bring, I'll knock it out the park. So to your point, one of the great values of EDI is that you get an opportunity to sit with people, not only during class, but after class, to include even when you leave, you start to develop these relationships with people that you can call, because I call people too, because sometimes, like you say, it's a lonely job and you got to talk to People that you can talk to, that will remain in confidence and but you just need to release sometimes. Gino. What you got?

Gene Campbell 8:07
Yeah, well, a little bit about EDI. You know, for for most people, if they're familiar with you, sure they might have heard about it before. But if you have some new listeners, executive development institute was started back in 1991 I believe. And it was started by with Dr home, Carl, Holmes, Romeo spall and some and some other chief officers who were challenged with trying to get into the National Fire Academy. So they said, We want to get, get up and do our own thing. And Carl was charged with it because he had already had a professional business, which went around the country on seminars, doing seminars with a lot of great people. And from that it started at Florida, Amm. We went there for five years. We went on the Dillard for the next five or so. And then we had the the flood that came. Katrina. So he went to Clark, Atlanta. But then after that, we came back to do where we've been for going on now 25 years. And so the 35th anniversary is coming up next year. It's a big year for us. And I know Annette and so many others probably have some ideas. And David, you've challenged me with facilitating the plans for the 35th anniversary. So I'm looking forward to sharing with everybody, not only beforehand. So we come to some with some sort of an idea of a plan when we get to the retreat, but refine it when we get to our retreat later this year.

Dave Washington 9:40
No, that's a good point. Jean, in fact, one of the things that I love about Annette, she built such a great rapport with Michelle Matthews, who's the liaison that we have worked with over the years. And their rapport is so great, and anything that we need, and it's only because of something that and I made sure, and Annette wasn't gonna let me mess it up anyway. Way, you know how she is, but their report was so smooth when I got there, I'm like, I ain't trying to I might be the new president, but I ain't trying to disrupt nothing. And they have always made sure that everything was very, very smooth, and it has gotten so much better under in its leadership. So sister, we appreciate you. And I think the growth of EDI over over time has been just so much better over the years, because all of us, because I believe again, and it me and Gene was in the second class. I think you and Brent were in the third class. So we've been here a lot. We've been, yeah, we've been here a long time. So we've seen a lot. We've seen so much in terms of the students. Give me some thoughts in terms of the student body today versus the student body of old, if you will. If you have any particular thoughts in regards and then gene I certainly want to come back to and get some comments about us moving forward on this 35th year anniversary and 25 years with Dillard University.

Annette Nance-Holt 10:58
Yeah, I think the student body now is so much different than we were, and I'm sure people older than us say we're different than they were, and vice versa, right? So I think the real challenge is explaining things to them or and showing them different learning techniques or teaching techniques so that they can grasp it differently than we do. You know, they're more visual learners. They love internet, they love anything like that. And we didn't grow up like that. We started getting used to it, of course. So incorporating different teaching aids into your class makes it more interesting, and also having younger instructors as well learn or mentor get them to get them mentored, so that they can actually take our spots. And I think also looking at trending technologies in a fire service, bringing cutting edge things to their attention, because, like this year, a great example of that is drones. When we took our pictures, we had drones. So now in the fire service, we utilize drones for fire scenes. When we have really big fires, for hazmat, you can utilize them for almost anything now, as long as the environment will allow it, and you have, of course, the license to do it right and the clearance, but that's an example of technology in a different way and how we engage. The younger members that attended EDI this year, were using their drones to help us do a project that we were trying to do, and that was taking our group picture. And, I mean, it was, it was phenomenal. So as we look through to see what else we can do, we always look for cutting edge technology as far as teaching. And also, what we didn't talk about is EDI is not just about becoming a fire chief, it's about moving through the ranks, right? So a lot of us started out a lot lower, but we can also help people at home when they're going through their promotional exams. I've actually been on the phone with people from different states and helping to mentor them so that they can be successful in their promotional exam. So EDI does so much, and I'm telling you, I would not be where I am today, if not for curl, Holmes and EDS. I know that for sure.

Dave Washington 13:05
Great point. And I agree 100% you know, with the time that we spent there. And you know, as I, you know, wanted to honor all you guys, I was really not, and I told people, and this thing has been all over the dog on Facebook, Jean, tell me we got, we got a meeting. I said, Gene, we got a meeting at 12 where we're going to go over and look at the neighbor. Now, we got another meeting at 11. Point when I walked in that room in there and saw y'all, I mean, man, I was, I was, my goose was cooked. And then, then for Gina, have two of my four children on on the phone, man, on Zoom, or whatever the heck that really touched, touched my heart. I mean, because I do the things as we all do, we do it because of the love of the business, and we want to see two people do well, and like you say, to have those phone calls and make contact with people, because people are always calling us about things. And if we can help, we do help. Give us some of your thoughts. Gene, in regards to the student body already,

Gene Campbell 14:04
well, I hit on two zones. The student body has changed a lot. You know, we were a lot more all that seeing chief officers, because for many of us, some didn't even have any any black chief officers, and some didn't have any black officers on own, and many of us didn't have any, you know, advanced education where you have now, the student body has a we have, you know, students have come through and gotten their PhDs. We have a lot more masters associates degrees. So we have a lot more educated body, and as Annette was saying, we look at the different generations, they are different learners, and so we're quickly now having to keep up with AI. Matter of fact, we brought that up in our classes here, Dave talking about AI and how they can use that to help them solve and mediate. Students. When we queried the room, did you know we had several that raised their hands? We have others that are still learning. So I think with what the board has us doing to try to keep touch with technology, and I use, I think will be well equipped, one of the things I just like to say about about car home and the 25th anniversary. It's, I mean, the 35th anniversary of calm, 25th of Dave University, in talking with the President, we're going to have a collaborative experience for those first time Stu time students this year. It's going to be a wow. It's going to be so it's going to be so wonderful this year, from our welcoming barbecue to other events that we might pull out of the bag that are still going to be a surprise for the alumni and people who will be coming and visiting back to a lot of the things that we're doing. For instance, this year, we really kicked off a good Women's Forum. It was started last year a little bit, and then that can speak to that, but it was really something special this year when the President jumped in on it, the new president of Dillard University. So I think each year we're getting better and better, and I'm just excited about what the 35th year holds for our students, our student body and our alumni and our partners, city the city of New Orleans Fire Department, as well as Dillard University,

Dave Washington 16:24
great. You know, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz more. I have fire commission and Aunt Nance Holt, who she she is our administrative officer, handles our business there at EDI and Gene Campbell, retired fire chief. He is our Vice President, and I can tell you, through their work and effort, and to include Burt with our little small we just had a small turnout for our golf tournament there in New Orleans, but some of the work that Burt did, I'll be making a final report to the board that we made, we made a nice piece of money, both with that tournament as well as the one that gene helped me with here in Las Vegas, in honor of Herschel, Assistant Chief, Herschel, Clady and Spike Jones, Deputy Chief. These both our ancestors now. And I can tell you once again, in it the work that you have done, and it's so important. Because to me, you can see the smile on these youngsters faces when they get they little, they little gifts that you because every year, you come up with something that just you know, out of the ordinary, something a little bit different, not the same old thing. We never get the same thing out of you. And the thing that people must learn as professionals, we got to be diligent in getting ourselves where we need to be in terms of registering. So I don't have to hear from Annette. You need to you need to toughen up. Gene, she's talking to me. I'm like, but I love you sister. So look, what are you guys thoughts again, in terms of the new president, Jean and I know you did mention the new president Gilroy, yes, she is. She's a wonderful person. I think we're going to get a lot of work. In fact, I'm trying to put together, hosting an event for her here in Las Vegas where we will get some students that will be possible, students for for dealer university. But some thoughts about her, and she has been on the show. She was on the show about a month ago.

Annette Nance-Holt 18:18
Oh, wow. So let me start out by saying we went down there for a pre visit, to sit down and talk with the new president, Dr Guillory. And I was so very impressed, because all the years that we've been going to dillary University, we actually got we sat down with her for more than an hour. And I know how very busy she is, and she's transitioning into the job and trying to get her staff up and running and everything else like that, and she was just so welcoming, and it was just a breath of fresh air. And I'll say that, not to knock anyone else, but she really extended that olive branch. But what she did even further, and Jean mentioned it, is that we were talking about having a women's reception this year. We always have them during lunchtime. And I'm like, that's not really cool, because we like out in the back, and we're trying to eat lunch, and we're trying to mix and mingle with each other, get to know each other, because some departments don't even have women, or they're so isolated. So this is another opportunity for women to get together, and she hosted it in her house, and actually, Michelle, Matthew and her, they took it upon themselves. They did all the food. They did craft drinks. It was like the best. And we did it in her house. It was fabulous. Let me tell you. I mean, the ladies couldn't stop talking about it. And I was like, I hope we do this again in a bigger fashion. But it was just, I mean, wonderful. I tell you all that food was gone. It was great. Well,

Dave Washington 19:42
I tell you commission, when I heard commission, when I heard about them, lamb chops and some other food, I'm like, man, what we need to do a guy reception or something. Man, because I'm thinking they throw down for y'all, that was great.

Annette Nance-Holt 19:53
Oh, my God, salmon steak. She did it. She said it out.

Dave Washington 19:59
Excellent. Any thoughts on the new president further?

Gene Campbell 20:04
Yeah, I think, you know, we had a meeting with her the other day, myself and Carla. We had them on the call, and we're really focused on the curriculum and developing that piece out and accreditation for next year. And so one of our staff members is on her behalf. On that call, I'll just say she's driving. She's driving the mission to make sure that not only university is set up to move forward and keep and keep aligning themselves with the proper resources to get to where they want to go. As long time partner with EDI. They're looking for us to do the same thing, and they're finding ways that we can integrate more. As you talked about having some sort of a focus here on trying to get some students at Dillard university right, but more importantly, for the car homes executive development institute, going the institute to where now we matriculate past the seminar platform, which we basically done, you know, as one of the people that helped build that and evaluated with Carl and those Oklahoma retreats we've done over the years to go away from just a simple, simple format as as as a seminar, to an increased seminar and syllabus to where we allow and can award not only CEUs, but more importantly, credits for associates, bachelor's and the possibility of matriculating into a higher degree. So that's what we're working on there, and that's what I know Dr Gilly is driving that. And so I know she's a driven person, driven lady, and I'm looking forward to working with

Dave Washington 21:44
her excellent, excellent. Well, again, we got this 25 years with Dillard, and certainly collaborate with them, all the staff there at Dillard, and then 35 years as an institute, and once again, Las Vegas, this is Veterans Affairs, plus on 91.5 jazz and more. I have a dear friend, Sister friend. She is a Fire Commissioner for the Chicago Fire Department, and at Nance Holden in my good buddy gene, like Gene said, we were road dogs all along, many men. I remember one time me and Gene were teaching when we first started teaching down at FAMU, we didn't get our clothes in there, so we wearing jeans, cowboy boots and T shirts every day, and our clothes caught up. I think we didn't get our clothes until we got back home, if I remember correctly. But anyway, it's been a good run, and I appreciate what you guys have done for me, because I've grown, you know, in my position as the president, and it's just time for me to move along. But get some final thoughts from you guys about where you think we should head. And I know, Gene you just touched upon some of that as you talked about your discussion with the representative for the President in terms of having some college credits awarded to us as we complete our our program.

Annette Nance-Holt 23:03
Well, let me say this, Dave, you are a fabulous leader. We love you. We love to work for you. I don't care if you cry you. It's easy to work, work with, work alongside, someone like you. It really is, and you've done an excellent job leading us where we need to go. And I do understand and sometimes all of us are going to step aside, but I just want to personally say thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you brother, and I know we would not be where we were where we are now, without your leadership, you are a great leader. And I mean, people could model themselves after you, because you got a hard side and a soft side, but you always get it done. So EDI, what we have to do is get younger people involved, get them willing to be instructors, get them mentored, so that when it's time for us to move aside, we got people to replace us who love this institute as much as we do. And what's so very important about what we do is the fact that we don't get paid to do it. We do it because we love our we love our people, and we know that if we don't reach our hand out and pull them up, they're not going to get up. And so that's why we love to do what we do for nothing. I mean, we don't ask for anything to do. It's just what we owe in our debt.

Dave Washington 24:21
Well, thank you for those comments. And you're right in terms of the work that we try to do, in terms of leading and just being, what was you said? No, don't be an example. Be the example of some, some kind of way you always frame them. Go like, that's very interesting. How she frames that. But you're absolutely correct. I think that and, and I know that gene, you can make some comments shortly. But what's named? Reggie McKinnon. I forget Reggie's last name, Keith McKee, Keith and from Kansas. I think he's I think he has the right fire in his gut, if we can bring people like him on into the fold, and you got. Know that I continue to say, let's make sure we vet. We can't let anybody into the door, right? And on our team. Because one thing I watched Carl, Dr Holmes is a video all the time, well, several times. And he says, If it fails, it will fail from the inside out, not from the outside. So that's something we have to be careful about going forward. All right. Gene, what you got?

Gene Campbell 25:21
No, I think you covered, I know you about at the end of the show. I just think EDI is on attractive, constantly evolve and constantly improve. And if we keep doing that, we're going to keep on going for the next 35

Dave Washington 25:33
years. Great. Well, actually, we got four minutes. West just gave me the sign so and it tell me, well, good, yeah, yeah. We got, we got some time. So if you got more to say, Gene, go ahead, because and then I'll have some closing remarks by each of you.

Gene Campbell 25:47
Well, I'll just, I'll just start off Dave with, with my remarks, and then, and then, if there's another question you throw out there, hey, Dave, we appreciate you know me and you've been riding together a long time now. My my oldest boy turned 38 Wow, 3038 and so he was born here, right? But so we've been riding together a long time, my friend, and so you've been doing an outstanding job, and you and you've been putting in there with passion in your heart. Dave, you worked it like a regular job. You worked it like a regular job, and you took it serious. And so I know that Carla Holmes, Dr Holmes door, as well as Marvella, when she was still living, we're very proud to be working with you and knew that you were the choice that needs to be made at that time. And so, hey, man, I'm just looking forward to seeing EDI Kadena growing, you know, working with great people like the man and some of her staff members, Cynthia and Bruce. And, you know, we got Bert on the money. He's pretty tight on the money. So looking forward, you know, yeah, keeping things rolling, I'll turn it over to Annette for her thoughts and any other questions. Yeah.

Dave Washington 27:08
And to your point, I agree with both of you guys. We got a great board, and we all work together. There's no, you know, in fighting and all that foolishness, we always will say, say, agree to not agree to disagree, but agree to agree on things. You know, we can. We generally get a census on things that we're trying to get accomplishing, and we move forward. And one thing that I did learn, well, did learn this, but I knew that everything that I wanted to do, sometimes I go, No, that's not a good idea. And then when the bill goes off on my head, and then I go, dang, they were right. Good thing. We didn't do that. Go ahead and then,

Annette Nance-Holt 27:41
but I was gonna say, You know what true, we got a great board. I have a wonderful team, and they keep everything moving. But for the opportunity to attend EDI, if anyone out here is listening, who's a firefighter, firefighter paramedic, anywhere in the ranks of the fire service, it's a great opportunity to grow your career, to invest in yourself, because a lot of us had to pay to go. It was totally worth the investment. We invest in things that don't gain us anything, but this will grow you and gain you, and it's a unique opportunity to have firsthand contact with people who've led departments across the country. We even have international students attend EDI. So I guarantee, if you come, you won't be disappointed. But I got one more thing to beg on, and that is, we need to get our young brothers and sisters in the fire service. We have to lead them to these professional jobs. These are great careers. They will afford you a great lifestyle and a great retirement. But we have to lead our people to this. We are having ancient we got a shortage of African Americans in the fire service coming through the doors. That means up the ranks. It's going to thin out too, because affirmative action is gone. And I don't care what anybody say about it, but it is gone. You know, people will say, you can't say that word. But the fact is, we're not coming in the door. If we don't come in the door, we can't come up the ranks. Very true. We need to, we really need to recruit.

Dave Washington 29:03
Well said. And to that point, we do have four scholarships. In fact, one as long as EDI exists. Dr Cohen Holmes said it will be naming Annette sons name her son's name, Blair. So we got that going in three other scholarships that we offer each year. So once again, Las Vegas. This is Veterans Affairs plus or 91.5 jazz and more. Head Eugene Campbell, retired fire chief, current fire commission for Chicago Fire Department. My good dear sister. Fan Annette. Dan tote, thank you guys so very much. You.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai