Daniel T. Kistner is a proven and innovative public-sector leader who has thrived in dynamic situations for over forty years. Daniel is regarded an industry leader and innovator on a variety of high impact topics including adaptive leadership, professionalism, prehospital medical services, and safety & health. Never satisfied with status quo, Daniel introduced programs to enhance community health and resiliency, including implementing novel community healthcare innovations into fire based EMS. Daniel is an accomplished author and speaker with articles appearing in various fire service periodicles, texts and whitepapers. He presented at multiple venues including Fire Rescue International, CPSE Excellence Conference, Fire Rescue Med, Texas Municipal League, Texas Fire Chief’s Association Line of Duty Death Conference, and others. The leadership lessons gleaned from over 40 years of experience cross industry lines and find application in any setting.
Daniel was conferred the Doctor of Liberal Studies degree from Southern Methodist University, Dallas TX, in July 2023. He began his postgraduate studies at Oklahoma State University (OSU) after earning his Master’s degree at OSU and undergraduate at Western Oregon University. Daniel attended the Leading, Educating, and Developing Program at the Weldon Cooper Cener for Public Service, University of Virginia in 2019 and received a fellowship to Harvard’s Kennedy School, Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, Cambridge MA in 2011. He is a Fellow with the Institute of Fire Engineers, a graduate of the Executive Fire Officer program at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg MD, and has held the Chief Fire Officer designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence since 2006. Daniel was a Board member for the IAFC’s Safety Health and Survival Section for 10 years and was a past president of the Texas Fire Chief’s Association. Daniel served on the Community Relations Council for the North Texas Job Corps, Advisory Committee for the non-profit One Heart McKinney charitable foundation, and was past president and 3-time Paul Harris Fellow with the McKinney Rotary Club.