Mr. Spaulding co-founded the Executive Development Institute of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, Inc. (IABPFF) with Dr. Carl Holmes at Florida A&M University. Romeo O. Spaulding is President Emeritus and served as the former Executive Director of the IABPFF from 1988-2002. The IABPFF represented approximately 8,500 fire service personnel in 35 states plus the District of Columbia and Barbados, West Indies, Bermuda, England, Canada, The Bahamas, South America, Central America, and Africa.

In 1991, retired Oklahoma City Assistant Fire Chief Carl Holmes, co-founded EDI with Mr. Romeo Spaulding and others. Their goal was to enhance managerial training for the advancement of professionals within the fire service industry. Since its inception, EDI has successfully trained more than 2,500 fire service professionals across the U.S. and abroad. EDI is one of the nation’s largest and most renowned organizations which is committed to excellence by offering quality professional training today to serve those leading the country’s fire service tomorrow.

Mrs. Holmes, wife of EDI co-founder Dr. Carl Holmes, was instrumental in the administration of the organization. For decades, Mrs. Holmes supported the organization by managing EDI conference registration and managing accounting and financial records to keep the EDI running smoothly behind the scenes. In addition, Mrs. Holmes was a trailblazer in civil service. She became one of the first African Americans hired at the Federal Aviation Association in Oklahoma City. She rose through the ranks to become one of the first African American female Training Specialists for the FAA, where she helped develop instructor training for FAA personnel across the country.

From the earliest days of EDI, Chief Robert Demmons stood alongside Dr. Carl Holmes as Assistant Director, helping to shape the foundation of what would become a national leadership movement. At the time, he was ascending through the ranks of the San Francisco Fire Department – a journey that would ultimately lead him to serve as Fire Chief.

What makes his story extraordinary is not simply that he reached the top, but how he got there. Chief Demmons once led a legal battle against the City of San Francisco in pursuit of fairness and equity, and later returned to lead that very department. Such a path is rare. Such resolve is remarkable. Such leadership is transformational.

Beyond his department service, he also served as Local Chapter President and Southwest Regional Director of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, advocating for equity and advancement nationwide.

Chief Demmons’ legacy reflects courage, conviction, and a lifelong commitment to justice and leadership.

Chief Sherman Carthen, longtime Deputy Fire Chief of the Oklahoma City Fire Department, was not only a respected leader but a trusted friend of Dr. Holmes. Their bond strengthened EDI’s mission and extended its reach.

At Dr. Holmes’ request, Chief Carthen joined the EDI instructional staff, teaching Public Fire Education alongside Joy Jefferson and pouring wisdom into generations of leaders. He also served as the Master of Ceremonies for EDI’s Annual Graduation, lending dignity, pride, and inspiration to one of the Institute’s most sacred traditions.

As a founding member of the Fifth Quarter Professional Black Firefighters’ Organization, he helped open doors for countless Black firefighters in Oklahoma City. His leadership created pathways where none had existed before.

Chief Carthen’s service embodies loyalty, mentorship, and a steadfast commitment to lifting others as he climbed.

Captain Leroy Norwood, retired from the Chattanooga Fire Department, answered Dr. Holmes’ call to serve EDI and left an indelible mark on the Institute’s operational excellence.

As leader of EDI’s Logistics Department, Captain Norwood built systems marked by precision, efficiency, and professionalism. Under his guidance, logistics became a model of structure and reliability – ensuring that every EDI experience operated with excellence behind the scenes.

He also served for many years as Southeast Regional Director of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, extending his leadership impact across the region.

A visionary and mentor, Captain Norwood prepared the next generation, including Art Battles, to carry the torch forward. His legacy is one of foresight, discipline, and enduring leadership.

Major Norris Wilson retired from the Oklahoma City Fire Department, where he served with distinction and honor. At EDI, he stood as Dr. Holmes’ trusted personal assistant, ensuring that every detail, large and small, was managed with excellence and care.

His devotion did not end with Dr. Holmes’ passing. Major Wilson continued to serve the Holmes family with humility and compassion, assisting Mrs. Marvella Holmes with personal needs and appointments until her transition. His loyalty reflected not obligation, but love and respect.

A longtime member of the Fifth Quarter Professional Black Firefighters’ Organization, Major Wilson remains steadfast in his commitment to EDI’s mission.

His legacy is defined by quiet strength, faithful service, and unwavering dedication.

Major Norris Wilson retired from the Oklahoma City Fire Department, where he served with distinction and honor. At EDI, he stood as Dr. Holmes’ trusted personal assistant, ensuring that every detail, large and small, was managed with excellence and care.

His devotion did not end with Dr. Holmes’ passing. Major Wilson continued to serve the Holmes family with humility and compassion, assisting Mrs. Marvella Holmes with personal needs and appointments until her transition. His loyalty reflected not obligation, but love and respect.

A longtime member of the Fifth Quarter Professional Black Firefighters’ Organization, Major Wilson remains steadfast in his commitment to EDI’s mission.

His legacy is defined by quiet strength, faithful service, and unwavering dedication.

Major Norris Wilson retired from the Oklahoma City Fire Department, where he served with distinction and honor. At EDI, he stood as Dr. Holmes’ trusted personal assistant, ensuring that every detail, large and small, was managed with excellence and care.

His devotion did not end with Dr. Holmes’ passing. Major Wilson continued to serve the Holmes family with humility and compassion, assisting Mrs. Marvella Holmes with personal needs and appointments until her transition. His loyalty reflected not obligation, but love and respect.

A longtime member of the Fifth Quarter Professional Black Firefighters’ Organization, Major Wilson remains steadfast in his commitment to EDI’s mission.

His legacy is defined by quiet strength, faithful service, and unwavering dedication.

Sherman George’s legacy in the fire service and at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute (EDI) is defined by leadership, excellence, and an unwavering commitment to developing others. Over a distinguished 40-year career with the St. Louis Fire Department, which began in 1967, he rose through the ranks to become Captain, Chief Instructor, Battalion Chief, Deputy Chief, and in 1999, the department’s first Black Fire Commissioner and Chief, retiring in 2007 with the respect and admiration of his peers and community. Introduced to the assessment center process by Dr. Carl Holmes in the early 1980s, Sherman mastered and championed it, helping train thousands of firefighters nationwide. Personally invited by Dr. Holmes to join EDI as an instructor in 1992, he dedicated more than two decades to teaching the Assessment Center and “What is a Valid Exam,” shaping generations of fire service leaders with his insight, discipline, and passion for fairness and accountability. A proud member of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters and the Black Chief Officers Committee, Sherman’s influence extended far beyond the classroom. Known as a forward thinker and principled leader, he leaves a lasting impact on all who learned from him. He is married to Catherine, with three daughters and two grandchildren, and is remembered not only for his many professional accomplishments, but for his enduring belief in equity, integrity, and service.

Spike Jones devoted 35 years to the fire service, leaving a lasting impact as a passionate leader, mentor, and educator. A proud member of the St. Louis Fire Department, he served from 1972 until his retirement as Acting Deputy Chief in 2007. Spike played a pivotal role in training thousands of firefighters nationwide and became a self-taught expert in the assessment center process, serving as a certified assessor in Illinois and across the country. Deeply committed to professional development, he was an active member of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters and the Black Chief Officers Committee. Invited by Dr. Carl Holmes, Spike began teaching at the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute in 1992 and dedicated 32 years to the program, volunteering his time and helping shape its core curriculum alongside esteemed colleagues. Beyond his professional achievements, he was a devoted husband, father of five, and grandfather whose legacy lives on through his family, his students, and his book, The FIRE Within, which reflects his life, leadership, and enduring influence on the fire service.

David L. Washington made history in 2001 as the first Black Fire Chief of the Las Vegas Fire Department, culminating a remarkable 33-year career defined by visionary leadership, operational excellence, and unwavering service to the community. Joining the department in 1974 as a firefighter, he rose through the ranks to lead one of the nation’s premier fire departments during a period of rapid growth and transformation. Under Chief Washington’s leadership, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue earned international accreditation and maintained the prestigious ISO Class 1 rating. These distinctions had only been achieved by only a select few departments in North America at the time. He also expanded fire protection services across the growing city while earning national recognition for his commitment to excellence, mentorship, and community service.

A proud member of the second cohort of the EDI, Chief Washington often credited Dr. Carl Holmes’ mentorship and leadership philosophy as instrumental in shaping his own career and dedication to developing future leaders. He later served as the first President of the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, helping strengthen and expand the organization’s mission of preparing the next generation of fire service executives. Respected nationwide as a mentor, trailblazer, and servant leader, Chief Washington’s legacy continues to inspire firefighters and chief officers across the country.

Chief Hershel L. Clady was a pioneering leader in the Los Angeles County Fire Department and one of only seven Black firefighters hired in 1969, where he broke barriers throughout his 31-year career. He rose through the ranks in a series of historic “firsts,” becoming the department’s first Black Fire Fighter Specialist in 1976, first Black Fire Captain in 1977, and later Assistant Fire Chief in 1993, ultimately retiring in 2000 after a career defined by service, resilience, and advocacy for equity in the fire service.

A longtime friend and colleague of Dr. Carl Holmes, Chief Clady was part of the inaugural 1991 EDI class and was later selected as a classroom instructor for the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute, where he taught alongside Chief Dan Scott for many years. He also served as a leader within the Los Angeles County Stentorians and helped develop Fire Station 58 in Ladera Heights into a nationally recognized training center that produced hundreds of firefighters, later becoming known as “Clady’s Station.”