Politics & Government
Nance-Holt Confirmed As Chicago's First Black Female Fire Commissioner
She is the mother of a 16-year-old Julian High School honor student who was shot and killed in 2007 as he was trying to shield a classmate.
CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Lori Lightfoot nominated Nance-Holt to serve as the first Black woman to run the Chicago Fire Department. Nance-Holt is the mother of Blair Holt, a 16-year-old Julian High School honor student who was shot and killed in 2007, as he was trying to shield a classmate from gunfire on a CTA bus. She and Blair’s father, retired Chicago Police Cmdr. Ronald Holt, have become outspoken advocates for victims of gun violence ever since.
A product of the Chicago Public Schools and a graduate of Chicago State University, Nance-Holt has been a firefighter since 1990, four years after the first women were hired at CFD. Lightfoot said Nance-Holt has served in virtually every role at the department, except for engineer.
