Kansas City names its first female fire department chief

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas City has named its first female fire chief.

The city announced Wednesday that interim chief Donna Maize will become fire chief. She has served as interim chief since September, when she replaced Gary Reese.

The Kansas City Star reports Maize joined the fire department in 1992, where her father was also a firefighter. She became assistant fire chief in 2014 and then became assistant city manager for public safety.

Maize holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Central Missouri and a master’s in public administration from the University of Kansas. She also graduated from the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program.

Reese served for less than two years before resigning.

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