Angela Avery
Sierra Nevada Conservancy
Angela Avery is the executive officer for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC), a department of the California Natural Resources Agency that works to improve the environmental, economic, and social well-being of California’s Sierra Nevada-Cascade region. Angela has been with the SNC since 2007, and in this time, she has developed and led teams in policy, legislative, science, research, and GIS programs, public information and communications operations, and grant program development and implementation.
Wade Crowfoot
California Natural Resources Agency
Wade Crowfoot became California’s Natural Resources Secretary in January 2019, appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Secretary Crowfoot oversees the California Natural Resources Agency, which includes stewarding the state’s forests and natural lands, rivers and waterways, and coast and ocean, protecting fish and wildlife, and overseeing energy development. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, he advises Governor Newsom on natural resources and environmental issues.
Kristen Shive
University of California Cooperative Extension
Kristen Shive is a fuels and forest specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension Program from UC Berkeley. Her work broadly focuses on understanding the impacts of modern wildfires, prioritizing areas for restoration and restoring fire to fire-adapted ecosystems. She has 20 years of experience in conservation, forest and fire management, ecology and science, working for the National Park Service, Save the Redwoods League, and The Nature Conservancy. She has a Masters in Forestry from Northern Arizona University and a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from UC Berkeley.
Lesley Yen
Inyo National Forest
Lesley Yen has served as the Forest Supervisor for the Inyo National Forest since late 2020. Originally from Massachusetts, Lesley started her Forest Service career on the Inyo in 2010. Since then, she has served as District Ranger on the Shasta Lake Ranger District and National Recreation Area on the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Coconino National Forest. She has also worked on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit and the Klamath National Forest. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and dual master’s degrees from Yale University in environmental management and international relations.
Janet Hatfield
Whitebark Institute
Janet Hatfield is the executive director and forest health program manager at Whitebard Institute. Janet spent the first 16 years of her career working for the National Park Service across the western United States and Alaska with a focus on fire management. In 2011, Janet began working for a local non-profit in watershed restoration. More recently, she has combined both disciplines to launch the Eastern Sierra Climate & Communities Project in partnership with the Inyo National Forest. Watching her neighborhood get destroyed by a wildfire in February of 2015, and nearly losing her own home, instilled a newfound urgency to this work. Janet holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry fire science from Colorado State University.
Greg Williams
Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship
Greg Williams leads the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship and is a descendant of the Deer Creek Band of Northern Sierra Miwok. Greg has spent his life in the Sierra Nevada Mountains living by the examples of his elders—developing a passion for community, clean streams, big mountains, and long trails. Greg is a pioneer of backcountry mountain biking in Downieville, establishing Yuba Expeditions guide service in 1991 and the Downieville Classic mountain bike festival in 1995. In 2003 Greg founded the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship in order to maintain and enhance the trail system, create local jobs, and grow the recreation economy in the Lost Sierra region.
Camille Swezy
J&C Enterprises
Camille Swezy is the Operations Forester for J&C Enterprises, a 4th generation logging company. She develops and coordinates logging and vegetation treatment projects in Plumas County. Since the Dixie Fire, she has assisted with the development of the J&C Lumber sawmill and supported local non-industrial forest landowners with navigating post-fire recovery. Previously Camille worked at the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment. She has a Masters of Forestry from Oregon State University with a focus on logging costs and biomass market prices.
Tara Fouch-Moore
Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation
Tara Fouch-Moore serves as Secretary of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation Tribal Council. Fouch-Moore facilitates tribal engagement in land stewardship, cultural stewardship, and intertribal and interagency partnerships. Tara holds a bachelor's degree in language studies from UC Santa Cruz.
Bridget Fithian
Sierra Foothill Conservancy
Bridget Fithian is the executive director of Sierra Foothill Conservancy. Fithian has worked in land conservation for 15 years and oversees over 52,000 acres of conserved lands. She serves as California Council of Land Trust's chair and is the past board president of the Sierra Cascade Land Trust Council. Fithian holds a bachelor's degree in literature from U.C. Santa Cruz.
Bob Wieckowski
California Senator
Bob Wieckowski currently serves as a board member on the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board. Senator Wieckowski represented the 10th Senate District in the California State Legislature from 2014-2022. In the State Senate, Wieckowski chaired the Environmental Quality Committee and Budget Subcommittee 2 on Resources, Environmental Protection, Energy and Transportation. He served on the Energy and Environment Committee of the Council of State Governments West. Wieckowski attended six Council of the Parties (COP) United Nations Climate Conferences representing the State Senate. He has tirelessly advocated for climate-adaptation programs while serving on state and regional panels examining green infrastructure investments.
