Our Team

The Arizona Wildfire Initiative was funded by the Arizona governor’s office in the Spring of 2023. We are a small group of passionate individuals with diverse backgrounds who want to help prepare Arizonans to be able to live with wildfire. We hope that through our work we will be able to strengthen Arizona communities’ resilience, assuring that when fires happen these communities are prepared for both the fire itself and the post-fire effects.

Andi Thode

She/Her

Director

Andi Thode grew up in northern New Mexico. She completed her B.S. (1996) and later her Ph.D. (2005) in fire ecology through the Ecology Graduate Group at the University of California, Davis. She has been heavily involved in the Association for Fire Ecology since its’ inception. In 2001 Andi started working as a fire ecologist for the Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Forest. In 2005 she left the U.S Forest Service to work at Northern Arizona University. She is currently a professor of fire ecology and fire science in the School of Forestry at NAU. Her research focuses on fire effects, fire monitoring and landscape level fire severity effects. Andi is the PI for the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and the Director for the Arizona Wildfire Initiative.

Laura Jo West

She/Her

Community Resilience

Assistant Director of Community Resilience

Laura has devoted more than 40 years to public service, 33 in leadership positions with the U.S. Forest Service in locations all across the west. She recently left the agency after serving seven years as the Forest Supervisor of the Coconino National Forest. Laura has extensive experience in land and natural resource management, as well as a deep interest in finding a balance in the way we care for public lands. Having witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of uncharacteristic wildfire, Laura is committed to working with communities to find ways to adapt and respond to this ever increasing occurrence.

Laura holds degrees and has completed graduate work in forestry and public land policy from Utah State University and earned a master’s in organizational leadership from Gonzaga University. Teaching, collaborating, coaching, and mentoring are among Laura’s strongest passions, skills she continues to develop. Laura is honored to teach Natural Resource Policy for the School of Forestry at NAU, and is working to become certified as an Equus Coach, combining her love of humans with her love of horses.

In her spare time, Laura enjoys hiking, stargazing, flat-water kayaking, reading, learning, travel, and continuing her perfect Wordle streak. She lives in Flagstaff with three greyhounds, her rez dog, Olive, and her beautiful paint filly, Bella

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Denise Stippick

She/Her

Administrative & Fiscal

Program Manager

Denise is responsible for the financial and budgetary aspects of the project and works with Project Leaders on problem solving, compliance issues, reports, etc. Denise is also responsible for budget oversight and coordination, program administration, event planning, and implementation of procedures and policies to ensure that detailed objectives are met. She also applies institutional HR and talent policies and practices and makes decisions related to allocating resources on a day-to-day basis. Denise prepares financial forecasts based on financial data to determine how best to allocate AZWI resources.

Marisol Holder

She/Her

Workforce Development & Education

Academic Success Program Manager

Marisol grew up in Oregon. She earned both her Bachelor of Arts in History and Master’s in Teaching from Southern Oregon University. She taught middle and high school before focusing on students’ needs in higher education as both a academic coordinator and advisor. Marisol’s is the Manager, Academic Success Programs for the school of Forestry and leads the Workforce Development and Education facet of the Arizona Wildfire Initiative. When Marisol is not working, she enjoys being with her family and friends, being the human her dog, Emmi Lou, deserves, cooking and baking, and visiting historical sites and museums.

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Kimberly Walker

She/Her

Workforce Development & Education

Student Development & Support Coordinator, Sr.

Kimberly Walker works in the NAU School of Forestry department. With her background in Educational Leadership, Kimberly works on utilizing her skills in creating engaging and educational events for the students in the School of Forestry, informational presentations to interested and incoming students and families, and assist the Manager of Academic Success Programs on creation of new programs for the School of Forestry. Kimberly is also a very talented trumpet player in the Flagstaff community who has performed in many groups such as the Flagstaff Community Band, FTown Sound, and Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra.

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Molly McCormick

She/Her

Science Communication

Program Manager

Molly is an ecologist and botanist who has worked in conservation and ecosystem restoration across the Southwest for 20 years working for the federal government and non-profit organizations. She received her bachelor degree in Southwest Studies from Colorado College and a M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy at Northern Arizona University. Molly is currently the program manager for the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and leads the outreach facet of the AZWI. She is also a permaculture designer, herbalist, and has a hobby native plant nursery.

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Annie Elko

She/Her

Science Communication

Program Assistant Manager

Annie Elko received a B.A. in History from Earlham College and a M.A. in English from the University of Vermont. Her master’s work was based on the necessity of the arts in the public’s understanding of climate change. After moving to Flagstaff in 2021, Annie took several courses in Forestry and Wildland Fire and began work on the creation of outreach products and science synthesis for the AZWI and SWFSC. In her spare time, Annie enjoys trail running on the Arizona Trail and hiking in the Grand Canyon.

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Callum Cintron

They/Them

Tribal Liaison

Community Program Coordinator, Sr.

Callum Cintron divides their time between AZWI and ITEP engaging in communications, outreach and relationship-building with Indigenous communities to aid in forest, fire and climate resilience. Their work involves collaboration, education and program development to serve Tribal needs and incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into AZWI’s facets. Callum’s undergraduate studies were in Anthropology and Natural Resources with focuses in DEI and Native American Studies. During their free time they volunteer for various causes and spend time with their dog, Albert.

Lauren Orme

She/Her

Workforce Development & Education

Recruitment and Retention Manager

Lauren Orme has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and a Master’s in Education. She divides her time between AZWI and NAU’s School of Forestry, where she works in education initiatives and workforce development. Lauren believes all people deserve opportunities to engage meaningfully with nature and our planet deserves active, informed, and empathetic stewardship. In her free time Lauren bakes bread, volunteers as a copywriter for environmental nonprofits, and explores the Southwest with her dog, Eleven.

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Catrin Edgeley

She/Her

Community Resilience

School of Forestry Faculty

Cat Edgeley is a wildfire social scientist whose research explores how human communities adapt before, during, and after wildfires. The SWFSC has helped her connect with managers and scientists across the Southwest to identify research directions and tailor studies to align with regional and local needs. In her spare time, Cat is usually outside hiking or snowshoeing on the Coconino National Forest with her dog Monty.

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Anita Antoninka

She/Her

Workforce Development & Education

School of Forestry Faculty

Anita Antoninka is an ecologist working to understand how land use and climate change are affecting plan and soil communities and ecosystem function, with a focus on restoration. She is also involved in training students from historically excluded backgrounds in science for research and management careers

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Wade Axup

He/Him

Administrative Support & Logistics Management

Academic Program Coordinator, Int.

Wade Axup received a B.S. in Marine Biology from CSU Long Beach and has a professional background in secondary science education leadership. Wade brings a variety of management and administrative skills to the AZWI. He supports all three facets of the Wildfire Initiative through project management, travel coordination, content management, material development, and serves as liaison between the AZWI and University departments. Wade enjoys mountain biking and exploring northern Arizona with his wife and dog.

Jacob Shelly

He/Him

Science Communication

Graduate Service Assistant

Jacob is a graduate student at NAU, working on creating a GIS interface for public use that will promote wildfire resilience in the Flagstaff community. Jacob is a NAU graduate of the School of Forestry and he is excited to contribute to this new initiative to the best of their abilities. He enjoys camping in the forest with friends and family.

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Cole Brant

He/Him

Science Communication

AmeriCorps VISTA; FELL Team Lead

Cole spearheads the Fire Ecology Learning Lab (FELL) Ambassador program, implementing a science-standardized fire ecology curriculum throughout Arizona and New Mexico. His role includes crafting single-day activities tailored for all grade levels (K-12), forging partnerships with southwestern educational institutions such as summer camps and after-school programs and plays a role in expanding and refining the curriculum along with its lesson plans.

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Max Yusen

He/Him

Science Communication

AmeriCorps AZCRC Member

Max is an AmeriCorps member with the AZCRC. He is translating the Fire Ecology Learning Lab curriculum for middle schoolers into Spanish, while also going into classrooms to teach K-12 students about fire ecology in the Southwest. Max has background in Environmental Science and Spanish, studying both at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and abroad in Costa Rica. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, reading, watching movies, and playing basketball.

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Sadie Wiese

She/Her

Science Communication

Content Writer; FELL Team Member (New Mexico)

Sadie has a B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy from Smith College and a background in environmental education and curriculum development. She aids in the development of and outreach for the FELL curriculum around New Mexico. Sadie also collaborates with other members of AZWI to create and distribute content on wildfire related topics. In her free time, she is usually found skiing, painting, or planning her next road trip across the desert.

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