Kimiko Barrett is the Principal Researcher at Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, where she specializes in advancing evidence-based approaches to living with wildfire risk and works at the intersection of science, policy, and community planning. Prior to joining the Alliance, Kimiko was the Senior Wildfire Research and Policy Analyst at Headwaters Economics, where she also directed the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire (CPAW) program and worked with more than 80 communities nationwide to develop locally driven solutions to reduce and adapt to increasing wildfire risk. In collaboration with academic institutions, community leaders, local governments, federal policymakers, and other subject-matter experts, she has led nationally significant research on the economics of wildfire, wildfire-resistant retrofits and new construction, structural ignition vulnerabilities, building codes, land use planning, and community-scale risk reduction strategies. Kimiko also served as a member of the Federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, contributing to Congressional policy recommendations to better address wildfire impacts. Her work is widely cited in major media outlets, policy journals, and peer-reviewed scientific literature. Kimiko holds a Ph.D. in Forestry. A native of Bozeman, Montana, she now lives in Livingston.

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Tyson Bertone-Riggs, Managing Director of Policy at the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, has a diverse background in forest policy and conservation work with both field experience and policy expertise. He previously served as the staff co-lead for the congressionally chartered Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. Tyson’s past experience also includes five years with the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition as Executive Director and Policy Manager, where he was responsible for coalition development, management, and political strategy. Tyson has also working for state and federal forestry agencies and on state and local elections and in the U.S. Senate.

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Leslie Neu-Lamping serves as the Policy Analyst at the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, where she tracks federal legislation, analyzes emerging bills and administrative actions, produces written products in support of wildfire resilience policy, and supports the Alliance’s partnership engagement. Leslie previously spent six years as a federal wildland firefighter before channeling her on-the-ground experience into practical fire policy. Her professional background spans wildfire risk-reduction programming at the Oregon State Fire Marshal, legal research on prescribed-fire policy, rural fire policy advocacy on Capitol Hill, a fire workforce internship at the National Interagency Fire Center, and leadership positions with the Oregon Prescribed Fire Council. She is based in Redmond, Oregon.

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Taylor Reed serves as the Senior Government Relations Specialist at the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience. Previously, she spent nearly the last five years working on Capitol Hill as a legislative staffer for Congressman Josh Harder. While on Capitol Hill, Taylor covered wildfire, Interior appropriations, energy, permitting reform, and agriculture policy. She contributed to multiple legislative packages, including the Fix Our Forests Act, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024, FY23-26 Appropriations bills, and the Farm Bill Framework. Taylor also drafted and analyzed policies focused on improving wildland firefighter benefits, public health responses to wildfire smoke, and coordinated information sharing to streamline fire response efforts. Taylor has a Master of Public Administration from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from San Diego State University. She was born and raised in Northern California and now resides in Washington, D.C.

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As the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience’s Managing Director of Partnerships, Annie Schmidt has worked with wildfire response, resilient landscapes, and fire-adapted communities for over 20 years. She served as the staff co-lead for the congressionally chartered Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. Annie also previously served as the Director of Policy and Partnership for the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network where she supported communities working toward wildfire resilience across the nation. Her past experience includes management of a community-based wildfire resilience organization, development of the wildland fire strategic plan, and a legislatively-mandated report on wildfire for Washington State.

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As Senior Operations Manager at the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, Lena Tom brings 15+ years of experience building operational and data infrastructure for mission-driven organizations. Her career has spanned roles from national political organizations, nonprofits, unions, research institutions, and as the founder of Meso Solutions. Throughout her work – which has included everything from helping coordinate major national events to designing training programs and hiring hundreds of staff – she has seen firsthand how the right systems and structures can transform an organization's capacity to deliver on its mission. Lena is a proud granddaughter of Chinese immigrants, a preacher's kid, an artist, and a Midwesterner.

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