Maui Delegation
April 8 - 12, 2024
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
"We advocate, educate, collaborate to address the Era of Megafire."
Named as one of Forbes "50 over 50" IMPACT Leaders in 2022, Jennifer Gray Thompson has helmed Rebuild North Bay Foundation since January of 2018, right after the North Bay megafire of October of 2017. Gray Thompson took a fledging organization and made it into a powerhouse national nonprofit that is the recognized national leader in recovery from megafires. She serves on the Bipartisan Policy Center Disaster Response Reform Task Force making recommendations to Congress in 2024/25 on reforms.
Jennifer is a lifelong resident of Sonoma Valley in Northern California. After teaching high school for 10 years, Jennifer earned a master’s degree in Public Administration from University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy. Post-graduate school, Jennifer worked for the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. After the devastating fires in the North Bay of San Francisco in October 2017, she accepted a position as Executive Director of the newly formed 501c3 nonprofit Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF), an organization dedicated to helping the region rebuild better, greener, safer, and faster.
Since "paying it forward" in the Camp Fire and Woolsey Fires of 2018, Jennifer has led delegations to 18 counties, again paying lessons forward to virtually every wildfire affected community in the American West. In response to the growing crisis, RNBF created After the Fire USA to help solve the issue of megafire, a climate-based disaster affecting millions of people globally. This initiative was born of practice in communities for several years and the increasing threat of the Era of Megafire.
As CEO of this organization, Jennifer has designed an effective and innovative Wildfire Leadership Network, implemented a Survivor Deployment Model for newly fire-affected communities, provided immersive and actionable After Action Reports to national organizations and communities, advocated with wildfire survivor leaders for sane and smart federal policies, and hosts a national summit on Wildfire Leadership annually in Sonoma, drawing upon leaders from frontline communities as well as the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
Jennifer is committed to equitable and resilient recoveries for every community, regardless of their ability to pay. ATF USA (501c3) does not charge communities for their services. After the Fire USA is committed to supporting locally led and designed recoveries.
ATF USA has fostered a thriving resiliency program in partnership with CalFire and USDA/RCPP under the Parent Organization, Rebuild North Bay Foundation, that is the lead agency for nearly $10M in state and federal grants for wildlands fuel mitigation programs. These innovative programs are now being transferred to wildland management organizations, having proved the model and innovated to address a serious gap in service delivery.
Jennifer is nationally recognized as a leader in the space of wildfire and has presented at several national conferences at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, HAC, Fannie Mae, Brownsfield, Smart Cities, FEMA, and more.
Jennifer is the creator and host of the “How to Disaster” podcast, which highlights proven and effective leaders with great ideas in the space of disaster.
CZU Lightening Complex Fires (2020)
Director, Santa Cruz County Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience
Subject Matter Expertise: Public sector, CDBG-DR, Rebuilding, Housing, Debris Removal Insurance, Constituent Recovery Challenges
Prior to joining the Office of Response, Recovery & Resilience, Dave served as a senior staff member for the First District County of Santa Cruz Supervisor for eight years. Through extensive constituent work, community organizing and coalition building, he helped ensure that our local government served Santa Cruz County residents. Prior to this, Dave worked in Public Works and the Redevelopment Agency, where he gained experience in community engagement, project management and public infrastructure maintenance. As a former research scientist with the USGS with a Masters in Coastal Geology, Dave possesses a comprehensive understanding of the science behind climate change and how our community and local government can prepare and respond to it.
In his role as Director, he seeks to serve the public to recover, adapt, innovate and become more resilient. Over the past 3 years as Director Dave and the OR3 team have been working closely with CZU Wildfire impacted families and County departments navigating the technical, financial, and emotional challenges to recovery. In 2023 the County was impacted by two federally declared disasters, OR3 has been supporting the County and community during the recovery journey. OR3 is also the lead on the adoption of our County Climate Action and Adaptation Plan in 2022, with implementation work on-going.
Jenn Kaaoush
[email protected]
Marshall Fire Survivor 2021 - Smoke Damage
Director, Superior Rising
Trustee, Town of Superior
Veteran (Army)
Subject Matter Expertise: Post-Disaster Community Leadership, Local Government (elected)
As Director of Superior Rising, a non-profit formed to support residents in their recovery from the Marshall Fire, Kaaoush has been advocating directly for them since the fire. This includes: streamlining government processes, sourcing funds and resources, pushing upwards to state and federal authorities to put people first, opening more funding, and removing obstacles that slow the community’s recovery and future planning efforts.
Kaaoush understands the high likelihood of another horrible event affecting Colorado in the future, and is using her knowledge, relationships, and experience to ensure other communities will not have to relearn all the lessons the Marshall Fire victims have garnered in the aftermath of this disaster.
Kaaoush currently serves on the Town of Superior Board of Trustees. She has also served on the Town’s Planning Commission, the Town’s Parks and Recreation Committee, and on the Board of the Democratic Women of Boulder County. Through her work as a Planning Commissioner and Superior Rising leadership, Jenn has cultivated collaborative relationships with local, regional, state and national community members. Kaaoush is a fourth generation Army Veteran and a Former Diplomat having served in embassies in the Middle East region.
Reva Feldman
[email protected]
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.
North Bay Fires (2017) Kincaid + Walbridge Fires (2019), Glass Fire (2020)
Director, Permit Sonoma
Subject Matter Expertise: Rebuilding Post-Disaster; County Leadership; Mutual Aid, Debris Removal; Permit Processes
Tennis Wick has served as Permit Sonoma (Permit and Resource Management Department) Director since November 2013. The agency balances environmental protection and sustainable development of Sonoma County’s natural resources through the agency’s planning, engineering, building, fire prevention, natural resources, code enforcement and administration divisions.
Before joining the County of Sonoma, Wick worked as a principal at Berg Holdings responsible for government affairs, site acquisition, design and entitlement. Previously, Tennis practiced as a partner at the engineering and planning consulting firm CSW/Stuber-Stroeh Engineering Group, Inc. He began his career with the County of Marin where he led current planning as Development Chief.
Wick is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (10447) and the American Planning Association. Tennis Wick holds a Juris Doctor degree from Golden Gate University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a Public Service Emphasis from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
A long-time Petaluma resident, Tennis Wick has been civically active twice serving as a City Planning Commissioner and as Board President of the Friends of the Petaluma River, Petaluma Peoples Service Center and the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce. Wick currently serves as past president of the California County Planning Directors Association.
Tennis is part owner of Hen House Brewing Co. He and his wife Holly have four grown daughters and three granddaughters and are active in endurance sports, cooking and gardening.