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Los Angeles Delegation
February, 2025
Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA
[email protected]
North Bay Fires (2017) Kincaid + Walbridge Fires (2019), Glass Fire (2020)
Founder & CEO, After the Fire USA; Executive Director, Rebuild NorthBay Foundation; Bipartisan Policy Center Disaster Response Reform Task Force
Subject Matter Expertise: Community Recovery, Long-Term, Federal Advocacy, Wildfire Leadership Network, Frontline Community Support, Local + Federal Government; Public Policy
Jennifer Gray Thompson, the CEO of After the Fire USA, LLC & After the Fire USA (501c3), has a remarkable journey rooted in community disaster. She graduated from Dominican University and earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy. In 2017, after devastating fires in San Francisco’s North Bay, she became the Executive Director of Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF), a 501c3 formed to help the region rebuild. In response to the Era of Megafires, a relatively recent chronic climate-based disaster, RNBF created After the Fire USA in 2020.
Gray Thompson was named to Forbes’ 50 over 50 IMPACT List in 2022 and appointed to the Bipartisan Policy Center Disaster Response Reform Task Force in 2023, making policy recommendations to Congress. As a nationally recognized subject matter expert (SME) in megafire recovery, she presents at several national conferences, including US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Fannie Mae, Smart Cities, FEMA, MIT, UNC, and National VOAD. Jennifer has also been featured in local, regional, and national news outlets, including NPR’s All Things Considered, NBC News, Meet the Press, and CBS Evening News. She hosts the “How to Disaster” podcast, which amplifies best practices, survivor experiences, and mitigation measures to ensure safety.
Jennifer is a fierce federal policy advocate, helping to secure over $6B in direct tax relief for disaster survivors in 2024, and has 7 years of experience working on the Hill, working with lawmakers and agencies. Her commitment to equitable and resilient recoveries empowers wildfire communities and bridges the gap between those on the frontlines of disaster and those who create policies.
Witch Creek Fire (2007)
Fellow + SME, SBP + ATF Partnership
Subject Matter Expertise: Long Term Recovery Groups + Insurance
Valerie brings over 30 years of nonprofit and grants experience, ranging from small nonprofits to a $26M organization with a portfolio of 45 programs funded by 60 government contracts and over 100 private, corporate, family, and faith-centered foundation grants. With nearly two decades of wildfire resiliency and recovery experience, Valerie is a highly respected leader in disaster recovery. She has expertise in federal and state programs and funding streams, charitable and faith-based resources, insurance, mortgage, and construction matters, and a proven ability to facilitate strong cross-functional collaboration.
Most recently, Valerie has served on the board of the Disaster Leadership Team, as Chair of San Diego County VOAD, Vice Chair of Northern California VOAD, and as Deputy Executive Director with United Policyholders. In these roles, she has supported long-term recovery through their Roadmap to Recovery® Program in Colorado, Hawaii, Florida, and California, including a complex multi-state virtual operation due to COVID-19 for the 2020 wildfires in Colorado, California, Oregon, and Washington. Valerie is a graduate of Duke University.
In her new role, Valerie will serve as a Fellow specializing in California in partnership with After The Fire USA, a nonprofit focused on community recovery after megafires. Additionally, she will support SBP's growing Fellows program as a Subject Matter Expert, contributing to the success of other Fellows across the nation.
Reva Feldman
Woolsey Fire (2018)
City Manager, Malibu (ret)
Subject Matter Expertise: Public sector leadership before, during and after disaster; City + County Management; Coastal Issues
Reva Feldman is an executive level leader with over 25 years of public sector experience working in city management and disaster preparedness, response and recovery to help ensure that local and state municipalities are prepared for emergencies and are able to respond quickly and efficiently before and after a disaster.
Ms. Feldman first served as the chief operating officer for a state park agency and then served as city manager for the City of Malibu, CA. Her strong leadership skills, knowledge, experience, and profound dedication to local government spurred her many notable achievements, including leading Malibu through the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Ms. Feldman retired from public service in 2021 and opened a consulting firm that supports local government and the city management profession. She serves as a Senior Fellow at Portland State University entities and is a frequent speaker for public and private organizations.
Adrienne Heinz, Ph.D.
www.dradrienneheinz.com
Tubbs (2017), Kincade (2019), Walbridge (2020)
Clinical Research Scientist, VA National Center for PTSD and Stanford University School of Medicine
Subject Matter Expertise: Traumatic stress, Digital mental health, climate change grief, disaster recovery, social entrepreneurship
Adrienne Heinz, Ph.D. is a clinical research psychologist at the VA National Center for PTSD, Public Digital Health Innovation Program and Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Heinz’s family and community in Healdsburg, California, have been repeatedly impacted by mega-fire disasters and she cares deeply about raising awareness of the intersections of climate change, disaster, and mental health. In her role, she creates free, science-based mental health apps to address posttraumatic stress and related struggles and her program of research on trauma and resilience has resulted in over 50 peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Heinz also serves as a consultant advising on cultivation of public-private partnerships to expedite healthcare innovation in trauma-impacted communities. Currently, Dr. Heinz, is a National Science Foundation GeoCafe Climate and Health Scholar which is a fellowship that connects health researchers with geological scientists to accelerate research and discovery on climate change and health.
Santiam Canyon Fire (2020)
Director of Integrated Health and Outreach, Santiam Hospital & Clinics
Subject Matter Expertise: Navigating Individual Assistance, Disaster Case Management, Services Integration
Melissa Baurer is the Director of Integrated Health and Outreach at Santiam Hospital & Clinics, where she has made a significant impact since joining in 2017. She holds a master’s in criminal justice and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Western Oregon University. With over a decade of experience in social services, Melissa has successfully implemented the Santiam Service Integration Team(s), which evolved into the dynamic department she now leads. Her work has garnered recognition as a best practice by After the Fire USA, and FEMA has hailed her disaster recovery and preparedness programs as models for nationwide implementation.
Through the Santiam Service Integration Model, Melissa has revolutionized community health, setting new standards in disaster recovery, preparedness, and overall community resilience. Beyond her professional achievements, she serves on the Lebanon Community School District’s Board and enjoys kayaking, hiking, and cherishing time with her husband and two children.
Tubbs Fire (2017), Founder of Coffey Strong
Council Member, City of Santa Rosa
Jeff Okrepkie's leadership journey exemplifies the importance of collaboration and preparedness in the face of disaster. As an insurance producer and community leader, Jeff's life took a dramatic turn when the Tubbs Fire, one of California's most destructive wildfires, ravaged his Coffey Park neighborhood in 2017. In response, Jeff founded Coffey Strong, a non-profit organization dedicated to uniting the community in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. This initiative showcased his ability to lead and collaborate effectively, bringing together residents, government entities, and various organizations to navigate the aftermath of the fire. This experience, combined with his roles on various boards and commissions, positioned him as a strong city council candidate who understands the challenges and needs of the community. His election to the Santa Rosa City Council in 2022, is a testament to his dedication to public service and his ability to turn a personal tragedy into an opportunity to serve and improve his community.
Paul LowenthalTubbs Fire (2017)
Division Chief - Fire Marshal, City of Santa Rosa
Subject Matter Expertise: Local Government, Resiliency + Recovery, Fire Fighting, Fire Mitigation, Infrastructure
Paul Lowenthal is the Division Chief Fire Marshal for the City of Santa Rosa Fire Department and has worked in both Fire Operations and Fire Prevention for the last 26 years. Paul has been involved in fire and disaster recovery since 2017 when he first led the Debris Task Force for the City of Santa Rosa following the Tubbs and Nuns Fires. In 2020, Paul played a key role in coordinating Santa Rosa’s recovery task forces on behalf of the City Manager’s Office following the Glass Fire. Paul has assisted several communities across the country based on his involvement and expertise with post wildfire recovery. Most recently, Paul has been assisting Maui County. Since September 2022, Paul has been on the island of Maui five times and has continued to support Maui County staff remotely and regularly since September 2023.
Paul is a Board Member for Fire Safe Sonoma, the Fire Safe Council for Sonoma County. He managed the development of Santa Rosa’s Vegetation Management Program and led adoption of Santa Rosa’s new Vegetation Management Ordinance. Paul was instrumental in developing the City’s first Community Wildfire Protection Plan and helped bring prescribed fire to within the City of Santa Rosa. Paul is also the Department’s Public Information Officer, is a member of the County’s Alert and Warning and Subcommittee and is assigned as a Public Information Officer in Santa Rosa’s Emergency Operations Center.
Marshall Fire (2021), Survivor - Total Loss
Sr. Director of Community, Good Inside
Subject Matter Expertise: Digital Communities + Leadership; Post-Disaster Community Advocacy (State and Local)
Reina Pomeroy is a Marshall Fire total loss survivor, in the process of rebuilding her home. She co-founded Marshall Together, a grassroots non-profit organization built by fire survivors with the mission to get as many people home as possible.
Early in the Marshall Fire recovery, Reina leveraged her professional background in virtual community building and built a Slack and email list of verified fire survivors. This resource has become the source of truth for many who are in the process of recovering. Through organizing and partnerships, the Marshall Together organization has been able to advocate for tangible changes that have put millions of dollars back into the pockets of survivors and gotten more families home at an unprecedented speed of recovery.
Founder and Principal, Trillium Advisors
Subject Matter Expertise: Housing and Recovery
Margaret Van Vliet formed Trillium Advisors in 2019, a consultancy focusing on strategy development, organizational improvement, project management, and cross-sector facilitation. Her specialties are housing and homelessness, as well as wildfire recovery. Trillium clients include the office of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, Oregon Housing and Community Services, the Port of Portland, and a variety of local governments, non-profits, and foundations on the west coast.
Van Vliet is a long-time public sector affordable housing leader who began her career in banking and commercial real estate finance. In Sonoma County, California, Van Vliet oversaw the housing authority and redevelopment agency during and after the 2017 North Bay wildfires that destroyed 5300 homes. She also led the team that created the housing recovery and renewal plan adopted by the County in the wake of the disaster. Previously, Van Vliet served under two governors as director of the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department, led the City of Portland’s Housing Bureau, and served as Chief Operating Officer for the Housing Authority of Portland (now Home Forward).
Trillium Advisors is an Oregon-certified women-owned business. The firm is also named as a qualified professional services provider by the Association of Bay Area Governments/Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Portland area’s Metro Regional Government, and the Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services.
Van Vliet was named to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s Housing Production Advisory Council in 2023. Other volunteer activities include serving as a Special Advisor to The Oregon iSector, as well as immediate past chair of Portland-based non-profit Relay Resources, and as a board member for Center for Creative Land Recycling.
Maui Fire (2023)
Co-Director and Founder, Maui Rapid Response
Subject Matter Expertise: Community Organizing, Vulnerable Populations
Nicole Huguenin is a conduit for caring and community. In 2015, she walked with a new person or group of people every day while simultaneously founding two alternative economy-based organizations, Dream Together Crew and Walk2Connect Coop. Based on those profound experiences, coupled with more than 15 years in nonprofits and teaching, she has dedicated her life to creating resilient and caring communities. Based in Maui, HI, her current projects include Share Circle, which connects the dots of circular waste practices, and Maui Rapid Response, a civic response organization modeled after mutual aid and the Hawaiian ahupua’a system. Her work as a generosity entrepreneur is financially supported on Patreon and/or by sharing aloha on Exchange Ave. Nicole is also a creative, a lover of walks, a writer, a sister, a daughter, and a friend.
Mike Holdner
Tubbs Fire (2017), Total loss survivor
Mechanical Engineer, Keysight Technologies
Subject Matter Expertise: Community Organizing, Block Captains, Bulk Rebuilding, Group Rebuild Leader
Coordinator, After the Fire USA
For inquiries or to connect with one of our delegates, please reach out to Natalie Minuzzo
[email protected]
707.480.9539