She’s the boss!
A veteran firefighter is making history as the first Black woman to be named deputy fire chief in Northern Virginia, NBC 4 Washington reports.
Tiffanye Wesley has been with the Arlington County Fire Department for nearly 3 decades, working in a number of fields including the bomb squad. Two years ago, Wesley made history as the first Black woman battalion chief in Northern Virginia. Now, she has doubled back to bring home another historic title, becoming the first Black woman deputy fire chief in the whole of Northern Virginia.
Chief David Povlitz spoke about Wesley’s appointment, saying she was a top choice. “We had a very wide field, a very qualified field. It was a hard choice, but she rose to the top based on her experience and her qualifications. We’re delighted and she’s off to a good start,” Povlitz told reporters.
Wesley, whose husband Eric also works for the Arlington County Fire Department, said this is just another way she can inspire more women, joking that she “outranks [her husband] at home as well.”
“I love to be able to inspire, especially women, to just know that you can come into a male-dominated profession. It’s a very difficult profession, but you can do it. You can do anything that you put your mind to. I mean, look at what we’re looking at in America today having a [Black woman] as vice president-elect,” Wesley said.
Congratulations, Tiffanye!
Photo Courtesy of NBC 4 Washington