Spring Lake Heights Mayor Selected For Award From Eastern Kentucky University

SPRING LAKE HEIGHTS, NJ — Spring Lake Heights Mayor Christopher Campion, Jr. was selected to receive the 2026 EKU Professional Achievement Award from Eastern Kentucky University.

Campion works as a fire-protection engineer by trade, and he has nearly 30 years of experience in fire protection, emergency response, fire prevention, code enforcement and engineering.

He was previously the Spring Lake Heights fire chief and emergency management coordinator, both jobs he held as the community weathered Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy.

Today, he is the founder and principal engineer of Trace Everett Associates, LLC, where his responsibilities include oversight of critical fire protection and life safety systems for major clients across the United States, including work at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He is also the managing member of Eastern Fire & Safety, LLC.

In 2024, the New Jersey Fire Prevention and Protection Association named Campion its Fire Protection Inspector of the Year.

He serves on the American Fire Sprinkler Association's Technical Advisory Council and on the National Fire Protection Association committees responsible for NFPA 25 and NFPA 96. Those standards address the inspection, testing and maintenance of water-based fire protection systems and fire safety in commercial cooking operations.

Campion also serves on the Board of Governors of the National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, known as NICET.

Campion attended and graduated from Eastern Kentucky University, which he attended while he was working full time and running his own small business. Eastern Kentucky University's Professional Achievement Award recognizes alumni who have made significant and lasting contributions to their profession and earned the respect of their peers.

He will be honored October 24 during the university's homecoming weekend in Richmond, Kentucky. He will be recognized on the field at halftime of EKU's homecoming football game against West Florida.

"I'm grateful to EKU for this recognition," Campion said. "Going back to school while working, running a business and raising a family took a lot of support from Meghan and our boys. They were part of that effort, and being able to share this with them means a great deal to me."