Chief Officer Program
Instructors

Module One: Michel (Shelly) DeLisle, MS

Michel (Shelly) DeLisle, MS, instructor for this module, has 25 years of experience as a career and volunteer firefighter. She has a bachelor’s degree in interpersonal communications from Marquette University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. DeLisle was the first female paramedic/firefighter hired at the Wauwatosa Fire Department. She has spent more than 25 years in global humanitarian aid work and is active in disaster response, serving as the recruitment and training officer for Response Systems, Inc.

Module Two: Steven Peggs, MS

Retired Battalion Chief, Steven Peggs, MS, has 25 years of experience in the Fire and Emergency Services. Peggs has had successful writing and application of state and federal grant programs. Successfully developed and managed the Safety and Compliance program for an ambulance company that employs 900 people in 32 cities throughout Texas and successfully developed and managed municipal fire department budgets of $19.5 million.

Modules Three and Five: Mitchell Waite, Ph.D.

The instructor of this course is Ret. Fire Chief Mitchell Waite, Ph.D. Waite is a certified EMS and fire instructor for Wisconsin Technical Colleges. He specializes in leadership training and development as well as organizational change and transition. Waite received his Ph.D. in Applied Management & Decision Sciences in Leadership & Organizational Change. Waite has published Fire Service Leadership: Theories and Practices; The EMS Challenge—A Call to Action; and is currently working on his next book, It’s All About Leadership.

Module Four: James Austad, MS

James Austad, MS, is a 25-year veteran of the fire service spending the past 20 years with the Oshkosh Fire Department. Austad received a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Austad also is a nationally-registered paramedic and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Officer Program. He is accredited as a Chief Fire Officer, Chief EMS Officer and certified by the Institution of Fire Engineers. Austand is the Chair of the Fox Valley Technical College Fire Protection Technician degree program. He also sits on numerous boards and committees, including the gubernatorial-appointed emergency medical services advisory board.

Module Six: Christopher Fischer, MS

Christopher Fischer, MS, is the Associate Dean in the Health Division at Fox Valley Technical College. Prior to this position, Fischer was the Chair for the Fire Protection degree program at FVTC. Fischer has 18 years of experience in fire and emergency service and is a current instructor in the FVTC fire protection program.