Chief and Staff Biographies
Suwanna Kerdkaew, Fire Chief
Fire Chief Kerdkaew has proudly served Santa Clara County Fire Department since 2002. As Fire Chief, she is the Santa Clara County Fire Marshal and serves as the CAL OES Operational Area Fire and Rescue Coordinator, responsible for all fire mutual aid in Santa Clara County. Chief Kerdkaew's past assignments for County Fire have included: Firefighter/Engineer-Paramedic, Fire Captain, EMS Coordinator, Staff Battalion Chief in Operations, Battalion Chief in Operations, Deputy Director of Santa Clara County Communications, and Deputy Chief of Administration and Planning. Chief Kerdkaew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from San Francisco State University and she also possesses a diverse business management background. Chief Kerdkaew is a state certified Fire Officer and Chief Officer.
Brian Glass, Assistant Fire Chief
Prior to joining Santa Clara County Fire Department in 2002, Chief Glass served the early part of his career with a variety of other agencies beginning in 1995; including CAL FIRE, Pacific Grove Fire Department, and Salinas Fire Department. As Assistant Fire Chief he is responsible for managing the Fire Prevention, Operations, Planning, Support Services, and Training Divisions. Chief Glass’ past assignments have included: Firefighter/Engineer-Paramedic, Fire Captain, EMS Coordinator, Battalion Chief, and Deputy Chief of Operations. He has also served on State and Federal Type 1 Incident Management Teams, traveling throughout California to manage large wildland fires. Chief Glass earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree both from California State University at Long Beach, and he is a state certified Fire Instructor, Fire Officer and Chief Officer.
Mark Shumate, Deputy Chief of Training
Prior to beginning his fire service career with Santa Clara County Fire in 2003, Chief Shumate served the County as a Paramedic and Paramedic Supervisor. As the Deputy Chief responsible for the Training Division, his responsibilities include serving as the Department's Health & Safety Officer; managing the Department’s Recruit Academy; and personnel participation in the California Incident Command Certification System. Chief Shumate’s past assignments have included: Firefighter / Engineer-Paramedic, Fire Captain, Staff Battalion Chief in Training, Recruit Academy Coordinator, Battalion Chief and Deputy Chief of Operations. He also served as the Active Shooter Program Manager, participated in wildland strike teams in multiple states, and is a proud member of the Honor Guard. Chief Shumate holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Administration and is a state certified Training Officer.
Hector Estrada, Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention
Chief Estrada began his career in the fire service in 1997 with the San Jose Fire Department, rising through the ranks from Firefighter to Deputy Chief. As the Deputy Chief of Fire Prevention, he manages all aspects of the Department’s prevention program which includes community risk reduction and education, enforcement of the fire code, fire investigation, hazardous materials inspections, and the plan review / fire protection engineering functions. Chief Estrada’s past accomplishments include development of technology-based solutions for the fire service, including deployment of mobile technology to the field and implementation of a records management system. Chief Estrada’s early professional life was in the private sector and as a business owner.
Dennis Lollie, Deputy Chief of Administration and Planning
Chief Lollie began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter-EMT with the Cordelia Fire Protection District. He joined County Fire in 2000. As the Deputy Chief of Administration and Planning, he manages the Department's Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) accreditation and the Department's strategic planning process. He also oversees the Information and Public Affairs Office and the Pre-Fire Management and Wildfire Resilience Program. Chief Lollie has served as a Firefighter/Engineer-Paramedic, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, Battalion Chief of Operations, and Interim Deputy Director of Santa Clara County 9-1-1 Communications.
Matt Yost, Deputy Chief of Operations
Prior to beginning his fire service career with Santa Clara County Fire in 1998, Chief Yost served as a Paramedic for the County of San Diego and as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the City of Santa Cruz. As the Deputy Chief of the Operations Division, his responsibilities include oversight of all emergency response activities. Chief Yost’s past assignments have included: Firefighter/Engineer-Paramedic, Fire Captain, and Battalion Chief. Chief Yost holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science, a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire Administration, and a Master’s Degree in Leadership. Notably, Chief Yost is one of few fire chiefs in California who possesses a Center for Public Safety Excellence Chief Fire Officer (CFO) credential and a California State Fire Marshal Chief Fire Officer certificate. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral degree in Strategic Leadership.
Dana Reed, Director of Emergency Management
Dana Reed is a 29-year fire service veteran, having served with the City of San José as a Deputy Fire Chief in charge of Operations, EMS and Training. He joined the County Fire organization in 2013. As Director of Emergency Management he is responsible for the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services (OES), the Santa Clara County Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Santa Clara County Fire Department Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and is a member to the Bay Area Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) Approval Authority. He is a Certified Chief Officer, California Emergency Management Specialist and holds an Associates degree in Fire Science as well as a Bachelors degree in Occupational Studies.
Doug Baker, Director of Personnel Services
Doug Baker has served as the Department's Director of Personnel Services since 2016. Prior to joining the Department, Mr. Baker worked in various positions in the City of Sunnyvale's Human Resources Department and the City of San Jose's City Manager's Office of Employee Relations. Mr. Baker holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Human Resources. As Director of Personnel Services, Mr. Baker directs the Department's recruitment and selection program and oversees employee relations and labor relations. Mr. Baker also serves as a principal department representative in labor negotiations.
Veronica Niebla, Director of Business Services
Veronica Niebla joined County Fire in 2019 with close to 20-years of financial management experience in both the private and public sector. Prior to her role as Director of Business Services, Ms. Niebla served as a Controller-Treasurer Division Manager with the County of Santa Clara and Principal Accountant for the City of San Jose. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration – Accountancy Option from Fresno State University. As the Director of Business Services, Ms. Niebla is responsible for managing all fiscal functions for the District and oversees Information Technology, and Risk Management.
David Snow, Director of Support Services
David Snow joined the County Fire organization in 2019 with more than 27 years of public and private sector fleet management experience and 15 years of public facility management. Prior to his role with County Fire, Mr. Snow served as the Deputy Director of Facilities and Fleet for the County of Santa Clara, where he managed maintenance of more than 5 million square feet of building space and a fleet of 1,800 vehicles. He holds a Masters degree in Public Administration. As Support Services Manager, Mr. Snow is responsible for the full-service apparatus and vehicle maintenance shop, Central Warehouse fulfilling the Department’s logistics needs and maintenance of Department facilities, including 15 Fire stations and the McCormack Training Center.
Trisha Adcock, Director of County Communications
Trisha Adcock began her career with County of Santa Clara Communications Department in 2001 promoting through the ranks before joining County Fire in 2018 as the Deputy Director of Communications. Ms. Adcock has served as a Communications Dispatcher I, II, and III, Senior Communications Dispatcher, Supervising Communications Dispatcher, and Chief Communications Dispatcher. Her past accomplishments include: Training Coordinator and County Coordinator representing all Santa Clara County 9-1-1 PSAPS, certified Training Officer, and certified NENA Center Manager. As the Director of Communications, she is responsible for the administration and management of County Communications operations which includes 9-1-1 emergency telephone answering and radio dispatching for sheriff, fire, and paramedic services; as well as the technical support for all Land Mobile Radio (LMR), Public Safety Microwave, and system administration for the Silicon Valley Regional Communications System (SVRCS).
Akila Elanchevan, Director of Information Technology
Akila Elanchevan joined County Fire in 2019, bringing over 15-years of technology experience gained from working in both the private and public sectors. Prior to her role as Director of Information Technology, Ms. Elanchelvan worked in various technology positions at San Jose Police and San Jose Fire departments. Her educational background includes a Master's degree in Computer Applications from Mother Teresa Women's University. As the Director of Information Technology, Ms. Elanchevan is responsible for developing strategies, overseeing implementation, and ensuring the upkeep of the department's information technology systems. These systems encompass a wide spectrum, from internal computer networks to mobile communications and other technologies vital for emergency response.
