Welcome
Welcome to DeanKWilson.com.
This is the personal website for Dean K. Wilson, a retired fire protection engineer, building code consultant, radio broadcaster, adult learning consultant, and communications consultant.
The purpose of the website is to archive some of the articles Dean has written and to provide a way of connecting with him.
As with most websites, this site is a work in progress with frequent updates.
Biography of Dean K. Wilson
Dean’s good friend, Wayne D. Moore, has often said:
Having reached the “Who Cares?” stage of his business career, Dean remains hopeful that, in his retirement from full-time employment, God is not finished with him yet and that he still has something useful to contribute.
“In our careers, we move from ‘Who’s He?’ to ‘Who’s Who!’ to ‘Who Cares?’”
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From an office in Erie, Pennsylvania, Dean currently records, edits, and produces a Podcast for Mainstay Ministries in Wheaton, Illinois.
In addition to his work for Mainstay Ministries, Dean currently provides assistance for various friends and acquaintances in their fire protection companies, adult learning organizations, or churches. He does this by helping with their websites, providing advice regarding marketing, and by answering fire protection, communications, and adult learning questions posed in emails or by telephone.
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Dean holds registration as a licensed Professional Fire Protection Engineer (CT) and has been elected a Fellow of, and received several awards from, the Society of Fire Protection Engineers.
He has received the Standards Medal from the National Fire Protection Association—of which he is a Life Member. And, he has received a Lifetime Achievement Award and Life Membership from the Automatic Fire Alarm Association. He has also received several other awards from various fire protection and security organizations.
Dean has written over 370 magazine articles and book chapters for technical and business publications. He has also written over 1,900 blog posts.
Dean is a nationally known conference speaker and seminar leader on various fire protection, adult learning, communications, and business process issues.
The Early Years
Dean was raised in Bradford, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Bradford Area High School in 1965. Dean and his parents were devoted members of the Hill Memorial Evangelical United Brethren Church. During his formative years, Dean was active in his church youth group, in the church choir, in Youth for Christ International, and sang with a traveling Gospel music group.
While in junior and senior high school, Dean was a student apprentice at the local radio station, WESB, and served as chief engineer for the local little theater group, Arena Playhouse Productions.
Dean graduated from Houghton University (NY) [formerly known as Houghton College] in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing and Psychology.
During college, Dean worked as a member of the University staff, serving as Director of Auditorium Operations, Nightwatchman, and also as a Printer for the Houghton College Press. He also served as a member, officer, and fire marshal of the Houghton Volunteer Fire Department of the Caneadea Fire District.
In July of 1968, Dean married the former Shirley Willink of Clymer, NY, now a retired public school music teacher, who currently serves at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (EPC) as church accompanist and provides leadership for the women’s ministries of the church. In addition, she serves as volunteer for the UPMC Hamot Aid Society of the UPMC Hamot Hospital and Medical Center, offers her services to schools and churches as a children’s music consultant, and writes for her blog: Musings in a Major Key.
Most importantly to Dean, Shirley remains his most faithful and best friend.
Career Highlights
Following graduation from college and until July of 1969, Dean worked for the Houghton College Press.From July, 1969 through 1998, Dean worked in various capacities for Factory Insurance Association (later known as Industrial Risk Insurers) including as a fire protection engineer, research engineer, and director of training. Dean began his career in the Buffalo, New York, Office of FIA and transferred to the Hartford, Connecticut, Home Office of FIA in 1973.
From 1999 until he retired in 2003, Dean worked as a senior engineer for Jensen Hughes—formerly known as Hughes Associates, Inc.—a consulting firm specializing in fire protection engineering and research. Dean also served as Chief Learning Officer for one of the Jensen Hughes’ divisions, NextKnowledge—now known as Jensen Hughes Academy—an on-line learning developer and service provider. Dean first operated an office in Windsor, Connecticut, and in September of 2001 opened an office in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Following his retirement, from September of 2003 until February of 2009, Dean worked full-time as Director of Communications at a large church in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania. In this position, he reported to the Senior Pastor, working as a member of the seven-person Program Staff. He oversaw the development of all advertising, print media, church publications, audio recordings, the church website, and provided guidance for communications strategies, including liaison with the local Christian radio station.
To view Dean’s Curriculum Vitae, please click here.
Current Assignments and Activities
Dean currently serves as Communications Coordinator of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (EPC) in Erie, Pennsylvania. He maintains the church’s website and oversees the production of various promotional materials and written communications.
In addition, Dean serves as the chairman of the Building Code Board of Appeals for the City of Erie, Pennsylvania, and as an Alternate Member of the Millcreek Township Property Maintenance and Fire Codes Board of Appeals.
Other Activities
In addition to his work in fire protection, Dean has had a lifelong interest in audio recording, audio production, and commercial radio broadcasting.
He has worked at several radio stations including WESB in Bradford, PA; WJSL in Houghton, NY; WIHS in Middletown, CT; and CRIS (Connecticut Radio Information Service for the Blind) in Wethersfield, CT.
Dean has also appeared as a special guest on several programs at WMBI in Chicago, IL, the flagship station of the Moody Bible Institute Radio Network.