Chicago, IL - - Thomas Von Essen, Senior Vice President of Giuliani Partners and New York City Fire Commissioner during 9/11, has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for The RJA Group, Inc., worldwide leader in fire protection and security engineering consulting.

The RJA Group Board of Directors represents a diverse mix of the fire protection and life safety community leadership. As a board member of The RJA Group, Mr. Von Essen's expertise and reputation will be vital to the continued growth and global leadership direction of the company.

"We are pleased to have Tom Von Essen as a member of our Board of Directors," said Martin Reiss, President and CEO of The RJA Group. "His experience in the fire protection profession will be a key resource for our company as we fulfill our vision to be the best in the world at providing consulting solutions for the built environment."

Mr. Von Essen was named New York City 's 30th Fire Commissioner in 1996. During his tenure as Commissioner he was instrumental in furthering the fire protection and life safety goals of the city. He created the Life Safety University within the department to provide ongoing training for firefighters worldwide. He also implemented the first Fire Cadet Program to increase recruitment and diversity within the department. Mr. Von Essen was a pivotal figure in orchestrating the massive emergency rescue immediately following the September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center .

Mr. Von Essen currently serves as a Senior Vice President of Giuliani Partners, a firm which offers professional guidance and strategic advice to help leaders and organizations grow and enhance their reputation. He also serves as Chief Executive Officer of Giuliani-Von Essen LLC. Between 1993 and 1996, Mr. Von Essen served as President of the Uniformed Firefighters Association. He has over 32 years experience in the fire safety industry.

About The RJA Group

The RJA Group, Inc. is the parent company of Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc. (RJA) and Sako & Associates, Inc. (SAKO). RJA is a world leader in fire protection consulting including code analysis, fire/smoke/egress modeling, performance-based design and life safety construction management. SAKO provides value-added consulting services in security and media technology.

Together, they offer seamlessly integrated solutions for fire protection, security and media technology challenges to clients in the worldwide commercial, institutional, industrial and government sectors.

To learn more about The RJA Group, call toll-free 888-831-4RJA or visit rjagroup.com.

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