Photo Credit: Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat

Miranda started her career with the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Oregon in 1995 as a Wildlife Biologist and an active participant in the fire program. She transitioned to fire full-time when she accepted a position in 2000 with the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas as their Fire Effects Monitor. After two years with the NPS she moved over to the US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) Texas Mid-coast Refuge Complex to be their Fire Effects Monitor and help develop fire effects monitoring in Region 2 USFWS. Seven years on the coast with USFWS led her to the position as the Fire Operations Specialist for the Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC). In 2014 Miranda moved into her role of Fire Management Specialist supporting Safety, Prevention, Fuels, Medical Standards, Reviews, Mental Health, and Training in the National Office for the National Park Service.

Miranda was the chair of the NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee since it was founded in June 2019 until June of 2022 and is still an active member. She is a lead instructor for Stress First Aid (SFA), a program to help identify trauma and provide tools to manage those impacts, as well as an instructor for the SFA Train-the-Trainer course and a peer for Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM). Miranda detailed to the BLM as their National CISM and Mental Health Coordinator and later as the Wildland Fire Safety Manager before accepting her position in June 2023 as the AFMO for Medford BLM.

Monte Williams served as the Forest Supervisor for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland located in northern Colorado starting in 2015. In 2020 the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests had the two largest wildfires in Colorado history on its landscape- the Cameron Peak Fire and the East Troublesome Fire.

Williams’ background includes serving as a Legislative Affairs Specialist in the Forest Service headquarters in Washington D.C. and acting Chief of Staff for Arthur ‘Butch’ Blazer, USDA Deputy Under Secretary Natural Resources and Environment. His career includes District Ranger on Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee, and recreation, timber, silviculture and hydrologist positions in Utah, Idaho, and South Dakota.

Williams’ formal education is Watershed Management with a Bachelor of Science from Utah State University.  He retired from his Forest Supervisor role in 2024. 

David Wolf has nearly 25 years of emergency services experience, including responses to wide-spread flooding in Houston TX and wildfires in Colorado. He served as the Fire Chief for Estes Valley for seven years, including during Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, and Kruger Mountain Fires. He is a graduate of the FEMA Emergency Management Basic Academy, and has his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Geology. He has been active in the Colorado State Fire Chiefs since arriving in the state, including time as chair of the Volunteer & Combination Section (2019-2023), and chair of the Wildland Section (2023-present), where he has focused on improving statewide mutual aid, statewide capacity building, and enhancing prescribed fire capabilities and opportunities. He is also active with the International Association of Fire Chiefs Wildland Program, developing and delivering the course “Evacuation Management for Law & Fire Service Leaders” and as a facilitator for the Fire Department Exchange Program. He teaches for Colorado State University’s Fire & Emergency Services Administration program. David lives in Estes Park with his wife Danielle and two sons. 

Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) is a nonprofit social enterprise powered by a network of young adults, ages 18-24, who are justice-focused, comitted to creating sustainable communities and pursuing a meaningful path to career success. As a leader in positive youth development, workforce development and community-based service, our Youth Corps completes conservation, construction and healthcare projects across 23 Colorado counties. For over 30 years, our work is making a difference for communities today and building a stronger workforce for tomorrow.