The president of the Firefighters' Mutual Benevolent Association, FMBA, Eddie Donnelly has combined frontline public safety experience with statewide labor leadership to become a leading voice for New Jersey’s first responders. As president, Eddie Donnelly has championed legislation affecting firefighters, EMTs, and dispatchers while helping grow the FMBA into the state's premier public safety union. His work in pension reform, labor advocacy, and public policy has earned him recognition as a key opinion leader in both public safety and public retirement systems.
Eddie Donnelly represents more than 6,000 firefighters, EMTs, dispatchers, and public safety professionals across New Jersey. Throughout his career, he has focused on strengthening retirement security, improving healthcare access, enhancing workplace safety, and protecting the rights of public employees.
In 2019, Mr. Donnelly became the first chairman of the Police and Fire Retirement System of New Jersey. As one of the principal architects of the legislation creating the system, he helped establish a governance structure designed to strengthen retirement protections for firefighters and police officers. Under his leadership, the board developed its executive leadership team, investment oversight capabilities, financial management infrastructure, and internal legal operations.