Leadership

The Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department is organized into operational and administrative sections; however, many members contribute to both sides of the department.

Chief – Christopher Jones
Chris has served as chief of the Department since December 2014 is also currently the Volunteer Coordinator for Arlington County Fire Department. Chris holds way too many certifications to list here, but the basics include Firefighter I/II, EMT and is an Adjunct Fire Instructor for the State of Virginia. Chris’ responsibilities include overseeing overall department operations and coordinating activities with the Arlington County Fire Department. Outside of CVFD, Chris is a special education teacher for Arlington County.

Deputy Chief – Christopher Longman
Christopher Longman became the Deputy Chief of CVFD in 2020.  Prior to serving as Deputy Chief, Chris served as an Operational Platoon Lieutenant. He has served as a Member of the CVFD Board of Directors since 2018.  As Deputy Chief, Chris oversees operational member activity, training, and equipment management.  He aids Chief of Department, Chris Jones, in all aspects of Department operational activities. Chris holds Firefighter, Officer, Technical Rescue, HAZMAT, and Instructor certifications.  He is also a Nationally Registered and Virginia State Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B). Chris, originally from Long Island, New York, is a graduate of The George Washington University and currently works for the U.S. Department of Defense.  He is an avid traveler, having visited over 34 countries.  In his free time he enjoys swimming, scuba diving, and hiking.  He lives in south Arlington with his fiancée.

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President – Timothy Horner

Timothy was born and raised in the Midwest state of Indiana. He became familiar with the fire service early in life. His father served over 30 years with the LaPorte City Fire Department and as a firefighter/EMT at the Bethlehem Steel plant in Burns Harbor, near Chicago. Timothy followed in his father’s footsteps in 2009 when he joined Center Township Fire Department in Delaware County, Indiana. He moved to the DC area in 2011, and has been with CVFD since 2012. Tim is a Firefighter/EMT, as well as a Fire Instructor in addition to his administrative responsibilities.

Timothy is honored to help lead CVFD as president, and is working to strengthen the department’s capabilities to support ACFD and serve the Arlington community.

Vice President – Elise Nelson

Elise Nelson became the Vice President of CVFD in 2020.  Along with her duties as Vice President, Elise has also served as the Public Information Officer of the department since 2018 and chair of the Public Relations Committee since 2019. She has served as a Member of the CVFD Board of Directors since 2020 and is also a member of the IT Committee. In addition she is a Nationally Registered and Virginia State Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B). As Vice President, Elise assists in overseeing all administrative aspects of the department including finance, personnel, public safety education, community outreach, and management of our historic firehouse. A graduate of Vassar College, she is originally from Long Island, NY and served as an EMT-D for Vassar and the surrounding city of Poughkeepsie, NY. Elise moved to the Northern Virginia area in 1999 and has worked in the hospitality, human resources, and organizational development fields for many years. Her last job saw her creating and overseeing training for over 26,000 hotel associates. Currently Elise is a stay at home mom and when not at the firehouse she can be found at home with her husband, her daughters and her three dogs. She is an avid gardener and amateur chef who also dabbles in different artistic mediums such as photography, digital art, and creating intricate tile mosaics.

Secretary – Catie Drew
Catie Drew has had a life-long love of science and has worked in biology or education for over 25 years. She got her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology from the University of Colorado and got her first professional job in 1984 working for NOAA National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration in Woods Hole, MA as a biological technician conducting research on larval and juvenile fish. Her duties frequently found her cruising on research vessels off the United States coastline to collect specimens for research.

Currently, Catie is the education coordinator of the Drug Enforcement Administration Museum in Arlington, VA where she develops and conducts educational and outreach programs, as well as helps to create museum exhibits on the history of drugs, drug awareness, drug law enforcement, and the consequences of drug abuse. She also serves as the Museum’s resident science geek, researching neuro-biological reactions to drugs and addictions, as well as being the coordinator of the Museum’s lecture series and the editor of its newsletter, “The Informant.”

Catie’s free time is spent cheering her kids on at their various activities, tending her ever-increasing organic vegetable garden, and volunteering with various community organizations including the Arlington Urban Agriculture Task Force and the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department. She is married to Wayne Botts and they have three children.