Meet Ben May

Ben May is a Board Director of the Center for Excellence in Public Safety, and recently retired Global Director of Corporate Alliances for the Walt Disney Company. He worked with Disney to create multiple seven-figure, interactive, social marketing experiences dedicated to the betterment of society- specifically fire protection and prevention, as well as international alliances, most recently as a global senior leader based in Paris over his last two years with Disney where he was responsible for creating alliances with international corporations and countries.

 

Working with Disney Imagineers, Ben envisioned the concept for the largest public fire education experience in the United States: “Where’s the Fire?” at Epcot-securing all of the multimillion-dollar funding for the interactive attraction, welcoming millions of guests over ten years

A graduate from the Montgomery Maryland Public Service Training Academy, Ben has been a fire fighter for Hillandale Fire and Rescue in Montgomery County, Maryland and Fire Commissioner for Woodinville Fire and Rescue in Washington State from 1991-1998. He was a Contributing Editor for Firehouse Magazine from 2001-2014 on the subject of marketing and branding leadership for the fire service.

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He has been a marketing consultant to Fire Service Publications (IFSTA) of Oklahoma State University’s School of Fire Protection and Safety Engineering Technology, the US Fire Administration and to metro fire departments across the country in the creation of strategic marketing communications plans. He has made presentations and workshops to numerous fire service conferences and departments on the application of marketing management to the fire and emergency services.

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Ben has been a member of the National Society of Executive Fire Officers, the Institution of Fire Engineers, Board Director of the National Weather Association Foundation, founding Steering Committee Member of Vision 20/20 for Fire Prevention and Education, and member of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers. He holds a Certificate of Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Executive Education.

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Ben is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Oklahoma in Public Affairs and Russian. He holds a Master’ Degree with Honors in International Communication and Russian from the School of International Service of American University in Washington, DC.