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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.