Our Mission

Fire Safe Council Staff

Staff:
Jamie Jones - Executive Director, CEO
Billy Spearing - Grant Accountant
Chris Wackerly - Field Operations Manager
Nathan Alcorn - Sawyer Supervisor


Fire Safe Council of Nevada County Board of Directors
The Board of Directors is made up entirely of volunteers and is comprised of local residents, property owners, businesses, organizations, and government agencies that are concerned about fire in Nevada County.

Officers:
Donn Thane - Chairman
Rick Nolle - Vice Chairman
David Walker – Treasurer
Warren Knox - Secretary

Directors:
Alan Doerr - GIS Specialist
Steve Eubanks - Biomass Specialist /Retired USFS
Sue Hoek - Nevada County Board of Supervisors
Hank Weston – Member at Large
Eric Trygg – Member at Large
Pete Williams - Member at Large

Agency/Partners:
Terry McMahan - Fire Chiefs' Association
Gretchen Bennitt - NSAQMD
Cathe Fish - Master Gardener's
Jerry Martinez - BLM
Jim Mathias - CAL FIRE
Bob Long - Firewise Coalition
Josh Robinson - Tri-Counties Bank
Jecobie Waters - US Forest Service
Heidi Hall - Alternate County Supervisor
Paul Cummings - Emergency Services Manager, Nevada County OES

Fire Safe Council of Nevada County Committee Members
The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County encourages you to join a committee to address specific issues. We are looking for Associate Board members with fiscal, legal, outreach, education, and technical skills related to fire safety. Consider becoming a member of our team to share your leadership skills and give back to your community.

Executive/Finance Committee:
Donn Thane - Chairman, Ret. USFS Silviculturist
Dave Walker - Treasurer, CPA
Warren Knox– Secretary, Member at Large
Hank Weston - Member at Large
Rick Nolle - Vice Chairman, Real Estate Agent

About the Board of Directors

Donn Thane, Chairman
Donn's early life was full of adventure having lived in Malibu and Ojai and experiencing two major wildfires in his youth. After graduating from high school in Ojai, he worked a summer in the oil fields of Castic, Ojai, and Santa Barbara. Donn graduated from Humboldt State University with a BS in forestry and eventually attended the Advanced Program in Forest Ecology and Silviculture at UC Berkley, serving as a certified Silviculturist in Region 5 for twenty years. Mr. Thane's 45 year career in the Forest Service, in Timber, Fire, and Fuels disciplines included work on the Sequoia, Stanislaus, Klamath, and Tahoe National Forests. Donn served on a Type 1 fire team for 15 years, and has fought fires in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Montana, Utah, and Idaho as a Division Supervisor and Operations Section Chief II. Most recently, he has worked with the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County through Forest Service Grants from 2011 - 2015. After retirement from his extensive career in 2015, Mr. Thane was elected to the FSCNC Board of Directors, where he currently serves as Chairman.

Rick Nolle, Vice Chairman
Rick Nolle received his Bachelor’s degree from Mount Union College in Ohio, and went on to earn his MBA from DePaul University in Chicago. Rick held several senior-level positions in banking, telecommunications, marketing and consulting, ultimately launching a successful career in real estate in Nevada County with Century 21 Cornerstone Realty. Devoted to the welfare of the community, Mr. Nolle has served on the Board of Directors for the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County, serving currently as Vice Chairman. He has also held the officer positions of Chairman and Treasurer. He has served on various Boards, including the Penn Valley Fire Protection District, citizen’s committees supporting special tax assessments for local fire agencies, the Rotary Club, the Penn Valley Municipal Advisory Council, and The Union newspaper editorial board. Rick currently resides in Penn Valley.

Warren Knox, Secretary
Warren obtained a B.S. and M.S. in physics at Arizona State. Drafted into the US Army while in school, he served as a Military Police specialist in Viet Nam. For over thirty years I worked as a scientist with the Dow Chemical Company in Analytical Science and Material Science. He managed the Material Science Laboratory in Central Research developing new technologies in support of both fundamental science, new product development and automation of global hazard communications and logistics. Retired in 2005 to Nevada County, he became Senior Scientist at Environmental Capital Group, LLC providing fundamental assessment of sustainable environmental value of new, “green” Venture Capital companies. A life-long community volunteer, he has served here in Nevada County on the Board of NCCFD for seven years.

David Walker, Treasurer
A resident of Nevada County for nearly thirty years, Dave has generously shared his extensive knowledge and experience in accounting, marketing, and business administration with the community. He has served as the Executive Director for Gold Country Telecare, as well as a major Christian camp and conference center that provides over 30,000 camper-days per year. Dave’s ability to improve function, accountability, and reportability have served him well in the corporations he has owned and managed, including Dave Walker and Associates, a full-service accounting firm with clients in 28 states. His passion for giving back to the community has led him to serve on a number of Boards in the areas of education, arts, philanthropy, health, church, and fire safety, and more. Dave has four wonderful children, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Alan Doerr
Education includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Forest Science from Humboldt State University and completion of the graduate level, Advanced Program in Forest Ecology and Silviculture at UC Berkley. Alan worked for the US Forest Service for over 36 years as a forester in a variety of positions. He served as an Inventory and Analysis Forester, District Silviculturist, Environmental (NEPA) Planner and Team Leader, and Geospatial Analysis (GIS), and Certified Silviculturist, and was qualified as an expert witness in GIS in Federal Court. Throughout this time, Alan also assisted with fire management on a call-when-needed basis. He was qualified as an Engine Boss, Dozer Boss, Strike Team Leader, Field Observer, Resource Unit Leader and Situation Unit Leader on an Incident Management Team. Prior to federal service, worked five seasons for the California Division of Forestry as a firefighter.

Steve Eubanks
B.S. in Forest Engineering from Oregon State University. 39 year career with the U.S. Forest Service with assignments in Oregon, Washington, Washington, D.C., Minnesota and, most recently in California as Supervisor of the Tahoe National Forest. Retired in 2008 and began forestry consulting with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy, Placer County and the Placer County Air Pollution Control District with focus on sustainable forestry, carbon credits and biomass energy. Chair of the Nevada County Biomass Task Force that is focusing on construction of a biomass energy facility in Western Nevada County. Other experience has included work in Russia in sustainable forestry--1995 to today, chair of the visiting committee of a National Science Foundation program emphasizing environmental careers, and extensive work in fire suppression and management.

Sue Hoek
A 5th generation native of Nevada County, Sue lives on the family ranch in Penn Valley, CA which has been in operation since late 1870. She is very active in the community and has worked with a variety of organizations including the Nevada County Farm Bureau as a Board Member and past President for 2 terms; serving as a Director on the California Farm Bureau Federation District 15 Nevada/Yuba Sutter/Butte; serving as a Board member and past Chairman of the Nevada County Agriculture Advisory Commission; serving as a Board member and past President of the Nevada County Resource Conservation District; and serving as a member of the Penn Valley Area Municipal Advisory Council. Sue is affiliated with the Penn Valley Chamber of Commerce, Placer Nevada Cattlewomen, Tahoe Cattleman, and California Cattleman, and has served on the UC Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center Research Advisory Committee, participated in the Nevada County Citizens Academy and is honored with a Blue Ribbon Award from the Nevada County Fair. Sue is currently the District 4 Supervisor in Nevada County and serves as a Director on the FSCNC Board of Directors.

Eric Trygg

Hank Weston
Hank has had a long and decorated 45-year career in fire service, including 36 years with CDF, from which he retired as the Unit Chief of Nevada-Yuba & Placer Counties. Hank subsequently served 9 years as the Fire Chief of Grass Valley. Continuing his public service, Mr. Weston was elected to the Nevada County Board of Supervisors for three terms, and a total of 12 years. Concurrently, Hank served on numerous Committees and Commissions, including 12 years in an elected position as the State OES Region 4 Fire & Rescue Coordinator for 12 Counties. Hank has contributed his knowledge and experience to the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County for 22 years, and is currently a Director. Mr. Weston also serves with the Sierra Gold Parks Foundation and the Save our Bridge Committee (Bridgeport Covered Bridge).

Pete Williams
During 34 years in California state government, Pete managed a variety of administrative and program functions. He retired as the Program Manager for California Victim Compensation Program. At State Parks, the Governor’s Office, and elsewhere, he developed and used expertise in human resources, improving work processes, team facilitation, performance measurement, customer and employee surveys, and organizational assessment. His 20 years in human resources, includes serving as Personnel Manager for 25 Boards and Commissions and Training Manager for the Department of General Services.