Leadership

Photo coming soon — we send the photographer to the field before the office.

Joel's path into fire protection is unusual, and it's the reason Zion looks the way it does. He started in mathematics, education, and curriculum design — building courses and teaching before he ever picked up a tool. He moved into electrical engineering in college and spent years as an industrial electrical contractor, then in low-voltage systems. He chose fire and life safety deliberately, because it sits at the intersection of every skill he'd built: code-driven engineering, hands-on field work, and structured teaching.

That last part is why Zion has an academy. Most fire-protection contractors talk about training; Joel built the curriculum.

Credentials & licenses

• NICET Level III & II — certified across multiple fire-protection disciplines, including Fire Alarm Systems, Sprinkler Layout, Special Hazards Suppression, and Inspection & Testing of Water-Based Systems
• FCC GROL — General Radiotelephone Operator License (ERCES / BDA commissioning)
• Arizona CR-76 — Fire Protection Systems Contractor license
• Texas APS, RME, FEL — Alarm Planning Superintendent, Responsible Managing Employee, Fire Extinguisher License
• Backflow Prevention Assembly Tester — cross-connection control

His thesis for Zion is simple: the trade has too many contractors run by people who can't sign for the work, and too few willing to invest in training the next generation. Zion is the response — owner-operated by a credentialed contractor, staffed by technicians the company is actively training to replace him.

Photo coming soon.

Dave joined Zion as COO in October 2025. The shortest version of his background: he is one of the rare operations leaders who built his career inside training and instructional design before stepping into enterprise operations. That combination is exactly what a fire-protection contractor with an in-house academy needs.

Why we hired him

Most fire-protection companies hire a COO who came up through field operations. We hired one whose first twenty years were in building large-scale training and learning systems for Fortune 500 companies — because Zion's competitive advantage is the academy, and the academy needs an operator who understands instructional architecture, not just spreadsheets.

Operations track record (prior roles, not Zion outcomes)

Before Zion, Dave was COO at Pondsco Facility Services (2017–2024), where he held full operational oversight of a 1,200-employee workforce spanning 80+ locations. Documented outcomes in that role:

• Implemented audit frameworks and predictive asset strategies that increased ROI 23% and reduced equipment repair costs 40%.
• Cut general liability claims 48% through systemic safety redesign and proactive risk controls.
• Aligned HR, legal, and compliance under a single execution model.
• Scaled onboarding and training systems, reducing ramp time 33%.
• Led enterprise-wide COVID compliance response across all locations.

These are Dave's documented outcomes at his prior employer, not claims about Zion. We share them because they're the reason we hired him.

Instructional-design background

• Director, Instructional Design & Learning Technology — ServiceSource (2016–2017). Led enterprise LMS migration that reduced vendor spend 86% while improving analytics and accessibility.
• Director of Instructional Design & Learning Technologies — Convergys (2011–2016). Built instructional ecosystems for multi-industry client deliverables.
• Training Officer, Learning & Performance Solutions — Chase (2011). Aligned training with governance, risk, and compliance.
• General Manager, Learning & Performance Services — Dish Network (2008–2010).
• Area Manager, Training — Discover Financial Services (1997–2007, 10 years).

Military service

Satellite Communications Specialist — 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1996–2004. Eight years.