The election for 2027 Vice President is live and will run until October 9.
The two candidates for NAFE Vice President submitted the following statements. They are presented as provided by the candidates to give voting members additional information before casting their ballots.
Paul D. Tucker
Paul D. Tucker has provided the following statement in support of his candidacy for Vice President:
Fellow Members,
I respectfully present my qualifications to the NAFE membership not because I am seeking a position, but because I want to help elevate NAFE and serve its membership. I have been asked to stand for election as Vice President.
Service to NAFE
I joined NAFE in 2020 and began serving on committees immediately. I have served on at least one NAFE committee every year since, including the Internet Committee, the Conference Committee, and the Education Committee, and I have contributed to the Academy’s LinkedIn presence. I am also listed as an Associate Editor of the NAFE Journal. I am completing my second year on the Board of Directors as a Director-at-Large, and during that time I have contributed technical content to the Academy’s programs and presented at this past summer’s NAFE conference in Portland, Maine, where I was honored to receive the award for Best Educational Presentation. My goal in every one of these roles has been the same: strengthen the technical rigor, visibility, and camaraderie that make NAFE unique among engineering organizations.
Board Leadership Experience
I do not come to this nomination without preparation for the role. Across my career I have served on the boards of multiple professional and civic organizations in essentially every officer capacity — Chapter Director, Secretary, Vice President, President-Elect, and President — including current service as President-Elect and Secretary of the FSEA Central Florida Chapter, Board Director of the MBCEA Southeast Chapter, and three consecutive three-year terms on the Jefferson County, Tennessee Building Inspection Board of Appeals. That experience has taught me how officer roles actually work in practice: how to support the officers above you, keep committees productive, and represent the organization consistently to members, sponsors, and the broader engineering community.
How I View the Role
NAFE’s officer structure includes both a Vice President and a Senior Vice President. I see the Vice President’s job as a supporting one — supporting the Senior Vice President and President, helping the Board in whatever way it sees fit, keeping committees moving, and being available to mentor incoming board members. That is the work I would be honored to do for NAFE.
I have great respect for Michael Stichter and for every member who steps forward to serve. Regardless of the outcome of this election, I am honored to be a part of NAFE and to serve its membership in any capacity. I will continue to give back to the Academy and to help elevate the profession of forensic engineering in every way I can. That commitment does not depend on a title.
Thank you for your consideration.
Respectfully,
Paul D. Tucker, SE, PE, FRSE, DFE, CXLT
Director-at-Large, NAFE Board of Directors
Chief Executive Officer, Áreté Forensics, PLLC, LLC
Mike Stichter
Mike Stichter has provided the following statement in support of his candidacy for Vice President:
Mike Stichter, PhD, PE, DFE
I have more than 20 years of engineering experience, including the past nine years in forensic engineering. My professional background spans aviation and aerospace, vehicle manufacturing, gas production equipment, failure analysis, and fire investigation. Throughout my forensic engineering career, I have provided expert witness testimony in matters involving mechanical failure analysis.
In addition to my forensic engineering practice, I serve as the Founding Director and Chair of Engineering at McPherson College, where I teach undergraduate courses in mechanical engineering and lead the development of the engineering program. I am integrating forensic engineering and failure analysis concepts into the courses that I teach.
I am a longtime member of the G04 (Oxygen Safety) and E58 (Forensic Engineering) committees for ASTM, where I contribute to standards development.
I am a Senior Member of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers (NAFE). For the past four years, I have served as an administrator and moderator of NAFE1 and have supported the organization in various capacities as a member of the NAFE IT Team, including serving as an administrator for NAFE's Moodle-based online learning management system. I have authored two publications in the NAFE Journal and currently serve as an Associate Editor.
Over the past several years, I have actively attended and contributed to NAFE conferences and Board meetings. I also participated in the Academy's strategic planning session in Kansas City, helping to shape its future direction and priorities.
I value the mission of NAFE and the opportunities it provides to advance the profession of forensic engineering. I would welcome the opportunity to continue serving the Academy and to contribute at a greater level through the additional responsibilities associated with an executive office position.
Thanks,
-Mike
Voting for the 2027 Vice President election is currently open. Voting members may access the ballot through the NAFE Elections page.