President- Robert Nelson

Robert Nelson is an Assistant Chief with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Robert began his public service career in 1981, serving in the United States Air Force as a Military Police Officer and joining the LAFD in 1992. A 30-year veteran of the Fire Department, he has been assigned to administrative and operational commands in the LAFD. He is currently the Commander of the Homeland Security Division and has an extensive background in hazardous materials, homeland security, arson-counter terrorism, and national security. Throughout his career, he has been a strong advocate for workforce development and has helped hundreds of LAFD members reach their promotional goals. Robert has been on the COA Board for ten years and has served as a Director, Treasurer, and Interim President.  Robert has been instrumental in advancing the use of technology in the COA and developing a sophisticated budgeting and transparent accounting system for all COA members to access. He has represented the COA on budget and finance committees and also is the COA Liaison Officer to the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Board.  Robert is a nationally recognized Hazardous Materials and WMD instructor and a staff instructor at the California Specialized Training Institute. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University Long Beach in addition to a master’s degree from the United States Naval Postgraduate School and a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Waldorf University.