Staff

• Interim Executive Director

Bruce has dedicated more than 40 years to the fire service, starting as a volunteer firefighter with the Fairfax (CA) Fire Department and retiring in 2012 as Chief for the City of Fremont. Post-retirement he has worked as the Interim Fire Chief for the City of South Lake Tahoe and as CBRNE Project Manager for the Bay Area UASI.

Bruce also served as an Assistant Professor of Fire Technology at the College of San Mateo and currently teaches as an adjunct for Truckee Meadows (NV) College in the Emergency Management/Homeland Security Bachelor’s program.

Bruce is a United States Coast Guard (USCG) Auxiliarist and acts on request as an Agency Representative or Assistant Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer for USCG District 11 to FEMA Region IX. In the past three years, he has worked as a Liaison Officer on California Interagency Incident Management Team 10 on eleven fires in four states.

Bruce holds a master’s degree in Security Studies from the United States Naval Postgraduate School, a bachelor’s degree in Business from the College of Notre Dame and an Associate’s in Fire Science from Indian Valley. He is a CPC Chief Fire Officer.

He and Tammy live in South Lake Tahoe, CA, with two young Labradors.

• Clearinghouse Manager

Amber is the Clearinghouse Manager for California Fire Safe Council. She joined CFSC in 2003 as Grant Manager for the Coast Region after working for several years with local Fire Safe Councils in the Bay Area. Amber was promoted to Clearinghouse Administrator in 2009 and paved the way for significant upgrades to the Grants Clearinghouse in response to changing federal regulations and technology. Recently, Amber led a major upgrade of CFSC’s outdated grants system to new, improved grant management software. She manages the year-round Clearinghouse activities, from application to grant closeout and provides support to grantees and grant managers. A senior staff member, Amber has ten years of experience in helping to shape and improve CFSC’s efforts to meets its mission.

Amber holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Resource Management with an emphasis in fire ecology from the University of California at Davis. Her studies propelled her to travel after graduation throughout the U.S. with The Nature Conservancy promoting fire ecology on prescribed fire crews and as a fire management planner. Amber is a certified Master Gardener and enjoys hiking, camping, painting and of course, gardening

• Senior Grant Specialist

Dave worked for the California Fire Safe Council from 2009 to 2011 as the North Coast grant specialist and recently returned in April 2021 as a senior grant specialist.

Dave has more than 25 years of federal grants experience serving local governments, nonprofits, corporations, and governing boards. Prior to joining (and re-joining) the CFSC, he worked for a large California public school district as their grant compliance officer, managing the district’s discretionary federal grants; he was the director of grant management for a national education reform nonprofit; and, most recently, was a self-employed federal grants consultant, managing a team of independent professionals that secured $200 million in federal funding and managed over $350 million in federal grants.

Dave is a California native. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in public administration from the University of Southern California and Golden Gate University respectively. In his spare time, he enjoys gaming (poorly) with his nephew, attending classic car auctions and watching baseball games (his goal is to visit all 30 MLB parks).

• Finance Specialist

Finance Specialist

• Programs & Outreach Manager

Becca Joyner has been with CFSC since June 2020. Initially, Becca joined CFSC as a grant specialist where she managed a diverse portfolio of grant projects and provided technical assistance and coaching to colleagues, grantees, and key stakeholders. Becca currently serves as the Programs and Outreach Manager with CFSC.

Becca has dedicated her career to service and meeting the needs of all Californians. Previously, Becca worked as a Program Officer with the AmeriCorps division of California Volunteers under the Office of the Governor. Prior to that, Becca was the Project Manager for the Youth Investment Center AmeriCorps program. Additionally, she brings experience from working for the California State Assembly as well as grassroots nonprofits such as the Shasta County Chemical People and the Child Abuse Prevention Center.

Becca transitioned to CFSC after being inspired by AmeriCorps programs that were dedicated to combating climate change. Having previously lived in Shasta County and having firsthand knowledge of the impact of fire, the opportunity to join the California Fire Safe Council was a perfect fit. Becca is honored to support the mission of the California Fire Safe Council and their efforts to help all Californians be more fire-safe and build resiliency within communities.

Becca earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from California State University, Chico.

Becca is passionate about encouraging others to have up-to-date Emergency & Evacuation Plans in the case of an emergency. In her free time, she loves to paint, spend time in nature, or cuddle with her three cats.

• Staff Grants Specialist

Thomas Shumaker comes to the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) after having served five years as grants administrator for the New Mexico Historical Records Advisory Board (NMHRAB). Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Thomas attended undergraduate school at Ohio University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history; he earned a Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana; and received his doctoral degree from the University of New Mexico in 2018, with a specialization in early modern European and Ottoman history. Thomas is the proud father of Alexander and enjoys hiking and picnicking, fiddle playing, reading, and running. Dr. Shumaker has a passion for public service and is thrilled to be a part of the CFSC team.

• Senior Grant Specialist

Morgan is a grant specialist and has worked for CFSC since 2009. She grew up in Humboldt County and studied forestry and range management at Humboldt State University.  As a student she worked for the US Forest Service and the National Park Service.  Morgan believes that many people are afraid to manage their properties to be fire-adapted, because they think they will harm nature.  She sees the projects that CFSC funds as an opportunity to demonstrate that the land can be managed to be fire-adapted and healthy at the same time.  She looks forward to a day when all California residents support thinning, prescribed fire, and grazing methods to maintain fire-adapted communities.

• Program Director

Jessica is the Program Director for the California Fire Safe Council. She grew up on a small family farm in the Pacific Northwest where the seeds for her love of land stewardship and healthy practices for resilient communities were planted. Jessica holds a BA in Environmental Studies, with a minor in American Indian & Indigenous Studies, from UC Santa Barbara. Prior to her time at CFSC, Jessica worked in Urban Indian Health developing and directing programs to connect traditional and cultural practices to health and wellness for the wellbeing of American Indian/Alaska Native urban communities. Jessica’s background spans from sustainable food systems, to native habitat restoration, to traditional ecological knowledge, to cultural programs for resiliency. Jessica brings with her years of experience in leadership, program development, grants/contract management, project direction, partnership building, community engagement, and advocacy. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys gardening at home or hiking, camping, and exploring with her husband and their dog, Ozzy.

• Communications & Outreach Coordinator

Lara Popyack is the Communications and Outreach Coordinator and comes to the CFSC with more than 20 years of film, television, and digital media experience. With a background in storytelling, Lara has worked on a wide variety of projects from National Geographic and Spanish Television to Make-A-Wish and World Central Kitchen. Most recently Lara worked with firefighters on creating content for behavioral health in the fire service and active shooter drills and training for responding agencies. She was also the producer of the award-winning, multi-lingual campaign for Firefighters on Your Side video series from California Fire Foundation. She believes her work at CFSC is critical to reach the under-resourced communities to educate, and inspire change for wildfire mitigation, and prevention.

• Communications & Outreach Specialist

Megan Katich is the Communications and Outreach Specialist. Prior to joining the CFSC she worked as a wildland firefighter, NREMT, tour manager, and creative director. She studied Emergency Management at Northern Arizona University, with an emphasis on Incident Command Systems, interagency collaborations, and hazard mitigation. Her passions include outdoor advocacy, wilderness restoration, and community integration. She hopes that her creative background and hands-on experience as a wildland firefighter will help facilitate community collaboration and increased resiliency across all of California.

• Central California Regional Coordinator

Brooke has been hiking, backpacking, whitewater kayaking, snow shoeing, horseback riding, rock climbing and swimming throughout the Sierra’s all of her life, and now, she enjoys introducing her children to the beauty and adventures of California’s mountains. Brooke studied Natural Science at Sierra College and has been in Forestry in various capacities, from a ground patroller to a Supervisor and Project Coordinator, which is where she educated, field trained, and deployed teams of forestry crews. Brooke was deeply impacted after working on a remediation project in Paradise, CA, and Magalia, CA, following their devastating fire, and she feels strongly about California’s fire safety. Brooke is committed to contributing to the education and advocacy of protecting our wonderful California communities!

• Staff Grants Specialist

Becky brings 15+ years in grants management, economic development, communications, and leadership to the CFSC.  She leaves her role as the Executive Director of the Alpine Chamber of Commerce, where she was integral in various outdoor recreation initiatives including the annual Death Ride in Markleeville, which is no small task. She will join our growing CAL FIRE grants team and manage the new Evacuation Grant Program.  We are really excited to have her expertise and spirit on our team.

• HR Specialist

Patrick, a native Southerner, received his B.A. in Business Management & Communications from the University of Alabama in 2002.  He relocated to San Francisco, California in 2006, working for Williams-Sonoma Inc. at their headquarters as an Assistant Control Buyer where he first developed his interest in Human Resources and Training.  Over the course of the next 10 years, Patrick has focused on his love of HR while working for various industries, ranging from software in Silicon Valley to higher education at the University of California at Davis.  In his spare time, Patrick enjoys spending time with his wife and son, especially at Disneyland, and watching documentaries about history and the natural world.

Patrick is thrilled to be joining the CFSC team as an HR Specialist and helping to further educate the public on the importance of wildfire education and building fire-resilient communities.

• Southern California Regional Coordinator

Britney Munoz is an experienced, integral leader for Fire Safe Councils. For several years prior to her Resource Conservation District position as the San Diego Fire Safe Council Coordinator, she worked as a strategic outreach planner and spokesperson, so public relations and communications remain a natural, clear role for her.

Britney is a true Fire Safe Council ambassador who is always working to improve and disseminate FSC community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) and fuel prevention and mitigation projects, as well as establishing local Fire Safe Councils, and transforming residents’ awareness though fire safety education.  She works tirelessly to ensure the safety of her community, especially through an always-active wildfire preparedness season and as fires worsen in intensity and frequency.

A respected leader with many wildfire agencies in San Diego, Britney is poised to continue that role and advance planning and partnerships at the statewide level.

• Accounting Specialist

Jamie is a nature loving, California raised accountant. Jamie spent her childhood years living in the Bay Area then moved to Sacramento with her family in 2001. She attended Sacramento State and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration: Accounting Concentration. Throughout her college years, Jamie was involved in youth programming through nonprofit events and various community services. Her passion for the community and nonprofits led to her experience with small business and nonprofit accounting. Having grown up in California, the preservation of nature is a priority to Jamie. Jamie’s happy place is camping with her family. A perfect day for her would be sitting out on the grass, having her feet in the sand, and enjoying a great view! On one of her nature getaways in 2020, Jamie experienced an evacuated from the Creek Fire area while on a trip visiting Mono Hot Springs. This experience, along with the rest of the 2020 wildfire season emergencies, contributed to Jamie’s desire to join California Fire Safe Council. She wants our future CA generations to be able to enjoy all the beautiful nature, as well as to have the ability to breathe in the fresh air.

• Administrative Assistant

Sara Kniss comes to CFSC with successful experiences in business management, customer service, and program coordination. Sara worked for the Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council where she coordinated events, assisted with grant proposals and applications, and prepared grant reports and budgets. Born and raised in Ventura, CA, Sara Kniss has grown up around the realization that wildfires are common occurrences in California. With her father’s background in GIS, Cartography, and Infrared Mapping, the fire world has always been close to home. It, unfortunately, came a little too close to home during the Thomas Fire in 2017. As a result of this experience, Sara is driven to be involved in wildfire preparedness and to make a difference in communities.

• Staff Grant Specialist

Julia grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received her BA in History from Chatham University and her Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. From there, she dove into the world of nonprofits and built a skill set that includes fundraising, grant writing, community outreach, strategic planning, advocacy, and digital marketing.
Julia is an avid outdoorswoman and has always been drawn to the mountains. A series of serendipitous events led her from Pittsburgh to a rural, California mountain community in 2019. She saw firsthand the looming threat of wildfire in her new home, inspiring her to join the local fire protection district’s board of directors and put her talents as a community advocate into action. She is thrilled to join the CFSC team as a Staff Grants Specialist and work within communities much like her own, helping to grow strong networks and unite people toward the common goal of building fire resilient communities.

• Associate Grant Specialist

Nina was previously a California Climate Action Corps fellow serving with CFSC and is now an Associate Grant Specialist in the Grants Clearinghouse department. She received her B.A. in Environmental Studies with a Concentration in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is now currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Southern California in Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST). Before joining CFSC, Nina conducted geospatial work on an Aerial Photo Project for UC Santa Cruz in their Digital Initiatives department and field work in rocky intertidal zones across the Northern and Central Coasts of California. 

During her time as a fellow, Nina, along with her co-fellows, worked on a state-wide mapping project to identify communities most vulnerable to wildfire events to help direct targeted outreach in these areas. She also helped collect important information from past and current CFSC grantees about their impacts in communities and sustainability of their CFSC funded projects. In the last month of her fellowship, Nina assisted in planning a fuels reduction event with the Sierra Resource Conservation District at a property hoping to rebuild after the Creek Fire. 

She is excited to bring her passion and interests into her new role at CFSC. She looks forward to supporting local fire mitigation organizations to build their capacity and complete successful projects. 

• Executive Assistant

Felicia grew up in the wildland–urban interface of rural Nevada County. Her passion for the natural world led her to pursue a degree in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University with a focus in Watershed Management and Wildland Soil Science. She has worked for multiple grassroots nonprofits in community outreach and fundraising roles and became a California Naturalist in 2019. In her spare time, Felicia enjoys going on adventures and reading a new book.

• Business Officer

Lori comes to CFSC with extensive nonprofit accounting and grant management experience. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting as well as her MBA at the University of Phoenix. She then taught nonprofit accounting, public budgeting, and government accounting at the University for more than a decade. She has managed accounting and finance for a variety of nonprofit organizations throughout her career, including 12 years with the California Forestry Association. When she is not crunching numbers, you will find her walking her two rescued pit bulls, Rowdy and Riley, or working with her two horses, Smoke and Anna.

• IT - Data Admin Manager

Jeremy is originally from Smyrna, Tennessee, and moved to California in 2010. He studied at Tennessee Tech and worked in technology for Sutter County Superintendent of Schools.  Most recently, he has done private contract work for school districts in Sutter County. Jeremy’s goals are to provide the best technical services and surpass expectations in his position with California Fire Safe Council and is excited to help build a robust technology platform that serves all of our technology needs. Jeremy enjoys camping and fishing with his wife and family, and in his free time, he enjoys reading and learning about new technology.

• Senior Grant Specialist Emeritus

Dan worked for the California Fire Safe Council as a grant specialist from July 2008 through March 2015, and then returned to the CFSC in October 2017.

Prior to that he worked for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) from 1967 to 2007 as a Firefighter, Fire Apparatus Engineer, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, Division Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief. From the start he was involved in fire prevention, defensible space, and hazardous fuel reduction projects. As a Division Chief he planned and directed many hazardous fuels reduction projects, utilizing both CCC and inmate conservation camp crews. As Deputy Chief he was responsible for several statewide fire prevention programs, including open burning, defensible space inspections, and powerline and railroad fire prevention. At various times during his 17 years as a Chief he oversaw the department’s statewide Conservation Camp Program, Fire Protection Operations Program, and Fleet Administration Program.