Mike Wallace has been named the chief of the Division of Fire and Aviation Management and Tom Nichols has been selected as his deputy. Both of these national level positions are located at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
As the division chief, Wallace will be responsible for the overall leadership and policy and program direction for the wildland fire, structural fire, and aviation management programs for the National Park Service.
From July 2005 to March 2007, Wallace served as the branch chief for the Service’s wildland fire management program, Before that, he was the program lead for the fire science and ecology program, where he oversaw fire management activities related to fire research, including wildland and prescribed fire policy formulation and implementation, technology transfer, wildland fire use, fire effects, air quality/smoke management, science and resource management, and fire behavior. He brings a high level of field expertise and management experience, gained throughout his 30 plus years working in fire and land management planning activities with both state and federal agencies.
Wallace has a bachelor of science degree in forest management and a master of science degree in fire science from the University of Washington. He is an outdoor enthusiast and a long-time resident of the Boise area.
Since arriving in Boise in October 2005, Tom Nichols has worked in the Service’s fire management planning and budget group. Before coming to NIFC, he was the FMOL at Yosemite. Prior to that, he worked in Western Regional Office for ten years – as regional FMO from 1997 to 2002 and as the regional prescribed fire specialist from 1992 to 1997. Nichols began his career with the NPS in 1977 at Sequoia/Kings Canyon, where he worked for 15 years in the resource management division as a prescribed fire specialist, air quality specialist and environmental specialist.
Nichols received a BA from the University of California at San Diego in chemistry and earth science and a master of science degree in biology and ecology from San Diego State University.
The Division of Fire and Aviation Management works with various interdisciplinary and interagency partners to fulfill the National Park Service mission of protecting and preserving America’s heritage. For more information about the National Park Service’s Fire and Aviation Management Program, visit www.nps.gov/fire; for information about the National Interagency Fire Center, visit www.nifc.gov.
Contact: Roberta D'Amico, NPS Fire Communications and Education, National Program Lead
Phone: (208) 387-5239 |
