Rio Rancho Fire Chief Wenzel Joins Elite National Leadership Institute Cohort

Rio Rancho Fire Chief James Wenzel traveled to Baltimore last week for the opening session of the 2026 Fire Service Executive Development Institute, joining a cohort of 24 fire service leaders selected from across the country to participate in the year-long program administered by the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

The FSEDI selection caps a period of rapid advancement for Wenzel, who was still serving as deputy chief when outgoing Fire Chief James DeFillippo publicly named him as his successor at the Mariposa Neighborhood Firefighters Appreciation Day on May 4. DeFillippo used the community event to announce his retirement and endorse Wenzel in front of neighbors and firefighters alike.

"He's incredible, and he has really taken the bull by the horns. Initially, when we talked about me phasing out and hiring a new chief, he made it very clear that he was the choice to move the fire department into the future. I couldn't be more proud of this man taking the reins and me getting somebody to pass the torch to, like James, because I know that he'll continue to develop this fire station out in Mariposa and all fire stations across Rio Rancho," DeFillippo said at the event.

Wenzel, who grew up in Rio Rancho, acknowledged he had "big shoes to fill."

By November, Wenzel was presenting to city councilors as fire chief, warning Nov. 13 that Project Ranger, a proposed 1,000-acre hypersonic missile manufacturing campus planned for Sandoval County property about three miles west of Rio Rancho city limits, would place significant new demands on his department. California-based defense contractor Castelion, which officially selected Sandoval County for the project days after Wenzel's council presentation, projects the facility will create more than 300 jobs averaging $100,000 in annual salary and generate more than $650 million in economic output over the next decade.

"Our responders are the primary responders to this location," Wenzel told the council. "We have to have the ability to understand any variances and exceptions in the suppression systems."

Wenzel brings a substantial academic and professional portfolio to the FSEDI cohort. He holds the Chief Fire Officer credential from the Center for Public Safety Excellence, completed the Fire Service Chief Executive Officer Program at Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, and earned a Master of Business Administration. He is currently enrolled in the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, making the IAFC selection his latest credential in an ongoing commitment to executive-level training.

The FSEDI program, now in its 2026 cycle, is designed to develop senior fire service executives through a structured year-long curriculum with in-person sessions, beginning with the Baltimore gathering Wenzel attended last week.