Henderson Engineers named renowned industry expert Paul Villotti, P.E. as its new Director of Life Safety. Villotti is widely-recognized as one of the leading experts in fire protection and life safety. He began work with Henderson at its headquarters in Kansas City.
“We are thrilled to have Paul join our fire and life safety group,” President and CEO Rich Smith said. “His contributions to the industry are unparalleled — he has literally impacted codes and standards that are used every day nationwide. Just like Paul, we are committed to changing the industry for the better.”
Villotti will be part of Henderson’s fire and life safety team, which includes 39 fire protection engineers, code consultants, former firefighters, and life safety specialists. He previously spent 30 years with Kansas City-based FP&C Consultants, Inc., where he retired as vice president earlier this year.
“I am excited to be at Henderson Engineers,” Villotti said. “After three months, I realized how much I miss working. I am happy to
return to what I love the most — mentoring and training the next generation of fire and life safety experts and providing counsel to clients. I like being a resource to the industry and joining Henderson will allow me to continue to serve in that capacity on an ever greater scale.”
With more than 35 years of experience, Villotti has spent his career helping venue managers, operators, and facility owners resolve building and fire code issues, obtain building permits, coordinate with fire marshals, and resolve code issues by providing technical justification for code equivalencies and variances. He possesses intimate knowledge of code requirements and is passionate about sharing the fundamental safety principles behind the rules. A lifetime avid learner, Villotti is known for wanting to understand all facets of a project so he can provide the best counsel while also adhering to the owner’s overall vision.
“Paul’s reputation in the industry speaks for itself,” Senior Vice President Darrell Stein said. “His experience and knowledge of fire fundamentals is unsurpassed and he has proven time and again to be a valuable asset to the teams he’s worked with. His commitment to his work and training others is second to none. I’ve always had the highest level of respect for Paul and come away from our interactions having learned something new every time.”
A registered Professional Engineer in 23 states and the Province of Alberta, Canada, Villotti has broad experience in all types of assembly venues. He is a member of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), and IAVM, of which he said he would like to be more actively involved in his new position. Villotti is a Certified Firefighter II in Colorado. Villotti has taught code classes for the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and IAVM facility managers. He is a 1980 graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technology, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Fire Protection and Safety Engineering.
