Eric Baka

Eric has been a wildlife biologist with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 23 years. His specialty is red-cockaded woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) (RCW) management and conservation. Prescribed fire is a critical tool to restore and maintain open pine habitats used by the RCW. Eric is excited to share his knowledge of prescribed fire planning and implementation with the next generation of resource professionals.

Clint Harris

Clint serves as the Manager of Resilient Forests for The Nature Conservancy’s Arkansas Chapter. With more than 20 years of experience in prescribed fire management, he has been utilizing drones in conservation initiatives since 2021. In addition to his fire management expertise, Mr. Harris is a Registered Forester in Arkansas and a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He also played a key role in establishing the Drone TREX program in Arkansas.

Leo Janczak

Leo is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Montana, where he is pursuing a degree in Forestry with a minor in Fire Science. In addition to his academic work, Leo is a Fire and Fuels Technician at the University of Montana FireCenter during the school year, and Forestry Technician with the Bureau of Land Management during the summer. He is passionate about developing educational opportunities for fellow students around learning and implementing prescribed fire through collaborative, student focused events.

Rodney McKay

Rodney is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Ecological Forestry Center at the former Hodges Gardens in Sabine Parish, Louisiana.  He oversees the mission of a longleaf pine ecosystem, enhancing the wildlife habitat and providing conservation education opportunities to multiple agencies and organizations.  Rodney has a previous engineering degree and 14-year career that he left behind to pursue a desire to work outdoors and be closer to family in Louisiana. After getting a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management with a minor in Wildlife Habitat Management in 2015, he worked for National Wild Turkey Federation learning the longleaf pine ecosystem and the many habitat practices that make that ecosystem so exciting to work with.  He has been at the LEAF Center now over 7 years, growing a mission from the ground up, literally. He has a passion for seeing other landowners achieve their goals and enjoys showing the LEAF Center achievements.

Jessica Novoblisky

Jessica has been doing prescribed fire in her current role as Habitat Coordinator for the ANHC for two years, working with partners across 80,000 acres to restore Arkansas’ vulnerable ecosystems for wildlife such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. Her favorite thing about her job is how much she has been able to learn from colleagues and agency partners in burning tallgrass prairies, Ozark woodlands, and open-pine habitats to restore Arkansas’ ecosystems! She is so excited to be a part of the Student Fireline Project because she has been incredibly lucky to have learned so much from prescribed fire and habitat mentors, and looks forward to the opportunity to help future generations of conservationists as well. She is also eager for any opportunity to stay learning and burn in new habitats with new folks!

Annie Oxarart

As Executive Director of the Association for Fire Ecology (AFE), Annie supports learning opportunities for wildland fire researchers, managers, students, and educators. She joined AFE in 2017 after 9 years at the University of Florida, where she worked with the Southern Fire Exchange and developed environmental education programs and resources.

Kjersten Peterson

Kjersten is a Communications and Program Assistant at the Association for Fire Ecology. She is passionate about science communication, the ecological and cultural significance of fire in the Great Lakes region and beyond, and supporting wildland fire learning opportunities.

John Punches

John is an Associate Professor and Extension Forester in Oregon State University’s College of Forestry. He teaches a wide range of forestry topics to forest landowners and land managers, and teaches wildland firefighting and prescribed fire courses for OSU students and fire practitioners. He is an Oregon Certified Burn Manager and trainer in that program.

Stephen Ruswick

Stephen caught the "fire bug" while studying fire ecology at the University of Georgia. Using a driptorch to burn research plots for his thesis inspired him to spend several years on wildland fire crews across the US. Today, he works with NC State Extension Forestry, connecting students to opportunities in wildland fire.

Vanessa Stevens

Vanessa is a current graduate student at CSU Chico Interdisciplinary Studies Wildland Management Program with an interest in field techniques, restoration, conservation biology and fire effects. Her work as a biogeographer has provided her career with a strong foundation and experience, contributing emphasis in the fields of Vegetation Ecology and Information Management. As an Ecologist specializing in Botany, previous research in fire effects in endangered butterfly habitat, qualifying into the role of FEMO has been her first training goal. Her experience in National Parks, Forest Service, as well as consulting in post wildfire restoration treatments primed my interest in landscape assessment and conservation planning. Much of her burn experience has been recently informed by Northern California PBA burns, TREX and regular volunteer with intertribal nonprofit and as a land steward on water district residence. Currently Vanessa serves as national SAFE council Vice President and Education Committee member.

Jacob Tepsa

Jacob found his passion for wildland fire as an undergrad wildlife ecology student at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Now at the University of Montana FireCenter, he focuses on building community around prescribed fire with students and conducting research on private landowner decision-making. He looks forward to the opportunities ahead with the Student Fireline Project as a way to connect students across the U.S.

Brad Washa

Brad is an Assistant Professor of Wildland Fire Science in the Wildland Resources Department at the Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources with Utah State University Extension. After more than 33 years in wildland fire management with over 400 wildland fires, Brad retired in 2021 from federal wildland fire service having worked with the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Park Service, living in Pinebrook, Utah since 2004.  When Brad retired, he was the Utah BLM Deputy State Fire Management Officer for Fuels Management with Fire Mitigation and Fire Trespass part of the portfolio he managed.  During this time, he detailed at the National Interagency Fire Center, Secretary of Interior - Office of Wildland Fire, and Region 9 and 10 of the US Forest Service/Oregon and Washington State Office.  Brad’s extension, teaching, and research efforts focus on landscape and community resiliency including prescribed fire and treatment effectiveness, smoke management, risk analysis, strategic planning, and dispelling of wildland fire misinformation.  Brad continues participating on the Alaska Incident Management Team as an Operation Section Chief focusing on strategic operations.

Stephen Wasp

Stephen works with Tall Timbers Research Station as the private lands burn team coordinator, focusing on prescribed fire, land management, and fire ecology. With 15 years of experience implementing prescribed fire in 27 different states, he works with private landowners, universities, state/federal partners, and NGOs, sharing his passion for prescribed fire with whomever would like to listen and learn.

Valerie West

Valerie is the Northwest Region Associate Extension Forestry and Wildlife Agent and interim Extension Forestry Specialist with the LSU Ag Center.  She has been with the AgCenter for the past 7 years. Valerie has worked in and around the forest products industry for 28 years with government agencies, industrial forest products companies, and academia. During her time at the LSU AgCenter, Valerie has been working with the landowners of Northwest Louisiana on their forestry and wildlife goals through a combination of site visits, information research, and outreach programming. She organizes the annual Ark-La-Tex Forestry Forum held in Shreveport where professionals from industry, government, and academia provide landowners with up-to-date information and opportunities for the management of their forest resources.  Valerie also holds prescribed fire workshops for landowners, professionals, and agency personnel around the state. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Southern Christmas Tree Association (SCTA) as the state representative for the LSU AgCenter. As the interim Forestry Extension Specialist at Hill Farm Research Station in Homer, LA, Valerie is responsible for maintaining ongoing research efforts and identifying new opportunities for improving forest management practices for the citizens of Louisiana and the SE region.