After the Fire Announces Appointment of Two New Board Members

Pamela Williams and Chisato Fukuda Calvert Bring Fire Power to Fire Recovery Organization

December 8, 2021 – Sonoma, CA. – Jennifer Gray Thompson, CEO and Charles Brooks, COO of the esteemed fire recovery organization in the western United States announced today two new high-powered members to its board of directors at After The Fire USA (ATF3R). ATF3R is the leading non-profit voice for wildfire recovery in the nation.

Joining ATF3R are FEMA veteran Pamela Williams and air quality non-profit director Chisato Fukuda Calvert. They will join board members Judy Coffey, RN, board president; Michael Mondavi; Henry Hansel; Larry Florin; Jack Buckhorn; Reno Franklin; Jake Kloberdanz and Lisa Micheli, PhD.

Chisato Fukuda CalvertCalvert is a dedicated and passionate expert on the intersection of climate change, health equity, and social justice. She is confident directing funding initiatives while handling all aspects of organization management. Calvert has domestic and international experience supporting objectives through the implementation and execution of creative strategies that increase awareness, she efficiently addresses challenges and that enable public participation and excitement.

Calvert is Acting Director of OpenAQ, an environmental tech nonprofit dedicated to connecting individuals and communities with open data to advance science, impact policy, and empower people to fight air pollution. She manages a growing open-source air quality platform that aggregates and harmonizes over 16 billion air quality measurements from 136 countries across the globe. She has also designed, developed and manages the OpenAQ Community Ambassador Program, a global leadership program for air quality advocates dedicated to utilizing open air quality data to spur community action against air pollution.

Prior to joining OpenAQ, she served as Director of Strategic Partnerships at Impact Experience, where she served as a liaison between impact investors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders and facilitated immersive workshops focused on climate resilience, disaster recovery, and community development through a racial equity lens. Chisato is also the Co-founder and former Director of SmartAir Mongolia branch, an organization that aims to build and distribute affordable air quality purifiers. She spearheaded public awareness-raising on the health effects of air pollution, community science, and social outreach across Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, one of the most polluted cities in the world.

She has also held positions at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a Princeton-in-Asia fellow, Trace Foundation, and National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI). In addition to her work experience, she has conducted ethnographic research extensively across Asia including in Mongolia, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Chisato earned her Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated from Bucknell University with a Cultural Anthropology Honors Degree.

Pamela Williams, Director of Mitigation and Resilience for IEM, a nationally recognized, woman- and minority-owned emergency management and disaster recovery firm. She brings 20 years of federal agency and congressional experience gained throughout her prolific career. She most recently served as the Executive Director of the BuildStrong Coalition, a group of firefighters, emergency responders, insurers, engineers, architects, contractors and manufacturers, as well as consumer organizations, code specialists, and many others committed to building a more resilient America.

Prior to joining BuildStrong, she served as Counsel for the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. Additionally, Ms. Williams was key in the enactment of the most transformational piece of legislation since Hurricane Katrina, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, P.L. 115-254, for which she was the principal drafter and also successfully led negotiations with multiple committees, House leadership, the Senate, and the Administration. Ms. Williams served on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council in the Standards Setting & Accrediting position.

Additionally, as FEMA Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs, Ms. Williams was responsible for directing and executing the Agency’s legislative program. Prior to this role, Ms. Williams served as FEMA Associate Chief Counsel for Legislation and Policy where she managed the Agency’s response to congressional, White House and departmental investigations. During this time, Ms. Williams served as an Advisor to FEMA, Department of Homeland Security leadership, and the Administration on congressional actions, dispositions, and recommended legislative activities.

Ms. Williams previously served in various roles on the House Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Subcommittee to work on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) portfolios.

"We are rounding out our board of directors with national leaders who have a 360-degree view of resiliency, recovery and rebuilding. Pamela's experience and expertise with both FEMA and Congress will prove invaluable to our leadership in wildfire," noted Gray Thompson.

"The addition of Chisato to our board elevates the critical intersection between air quality and equity in the space of wildfire. Chisato brings a wealth of experience in these areas that are critical in understanding and addressing the impacts of wildfire," added Brooks.

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After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine (ATF3R) is an initiative of Rebuild NorthBay Foundation in response to a dramatic increase in megafire disasters across the American West.

Our vision is to empower the communities of the American West be more resilient, and to recover faster from wildfire disasters by building local capacity and increasing access to resources.

Our mission is to support communities as they recover from fire, rebuild their lives, and reimagine a more resilient future through prevention, innovation, and facilitating the connection from one fire-impacted community to another.

Please visit www.afterthefireUSA.org

ATF contact: Jennifer Gray Thompson (707) 953-6034 or [email protected]

Media contact: Michael Coats (707) 235-6203 or [email protected]