Parkesburg, Pa. — October 26 —The Keystone Valley Fire Department recognized Chief Joe Marks for successfully completing the Northern Virginia Fire & Rescue Leadership Development Institute's Command and Leadership Program. The program is intended for company and command-level officers and focuses on leadership principles, decision-making, and practical management abilities that are critical to current fire service operations.

The Northern Virginia Fire Chiefs Committee founded the Leadership Development Institute in 2013 in response to a regional need for advanced officer development. Each year, the program brings together students from the committee's member jurisdictions, with certain spots available for participants from beyond the region. Chief Marks and his students finished the difficult program as part of their continued training for higher-level positions within respective departments.