Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt is the first woman and woman of color to lead the Chicago Fire Department in its 162-year history.
A native of Chicago, Commissioner Nance-Holt was raised in the Maple Park community of the Southside and attended both parochial and public schools.
She holds a Master of Science degree in Public Administration/Fire & Emergency Management from Anna Maria College and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Chicago State University.
Nance-Holt has dutifully served the Chicago Fire Department for over 30 years and served as the Acting Fire Commissioner after Commissioner Richard Ford II retired following his lifetime of dedicated service. She has also served the Chicago Fire Department in the following positions: Deputy District Chief, Battalion Chief-EMT, Captain-EMT, Lieutenant-EMT, and as a Firefighter.
In her personal life, Ms. Nance-Holt's passion has become the passing of common-sense gun legislation. In May of 2007, tragedy hit when her 16-year-old son, Blair Holt, was fatally shot on his way home from school. Since Blair's death, Ms. Nance-Holt has supported parents who have lost a child to gun violence with the creation of the non-profit organization, Purpose Over Pain - an advocacy organization that supports parents who also lost children to gun violence, provides safe and positive outlets for children and youth, and advocates and promotes safer communities in Chicago, Illinois. She also is the founder of the Blair Holt Scholarship Foundation.
Commissioner Nance-Holt resides in Chicago with her family and is a member of St. Sabina Church and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, and the African American Firefighters & Paramedics League, where she once served as President and Vice-President.
N'DIGO is happy to share this interview with Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt with its readers.