New Fire and Aviation Management Director Announced
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Joint Announcement
Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region
Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington
Portland, Ore. – Pacific Northwest Regional Forester Jim Peña and Oregon/Washington Bureau of Land Management State Director Jamie Connell are pleased to announce the selection of John Giller as the Fire, Fuels and Aviation Director for the USDA Forest Service Regions 6/10 (including Oregon, Washington and Alaska), as well as the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon and Washington as part of the interagency “Service First” pilot program.
Giller has extensive experience in fire suppression, fuels management, aviation and leadership across the USDA Forest Service. Prior to this role, Giller served as the operations chief for the Forest Service’s Portland-based National Incident Management Organization (NIMO) team, one of four full-time national teams created to manage complex wildland fires and provide training, quality assurance, fuels management and other fire and aviation management support. He has served as the interagency fire staff officer, district-level fire management officer, sub-regional fire planner, and Pacific Northwest air attack program manager. He has also been an active member of national incident management teams for more than two decades.
“I’m very pleased to welcome John back to our regional office,” Peña said. “His extensive background supporting fire, fuels and aviation activities at every level is exactly the experience we need to lead our wildland firefighting efforts across the Pacific Northwest. With the significant fire season we experienced last year, John is the right person at the right time to position our fire and aviation community for future change and continued success with our interagency partners.”
An Oregon native, Giller grew up in the Klamath Falls area where he and his wife, Barbara, reside. He began his career in fire in 1981 on the Chemult Ranger District of the Winema National Forest, then was on the Winema Interagency Hotshot Crew from 1982-1985. He spent time on the Cleveland National Forest as a helitack crewmember before returning to South Central Oregon. In 2003, Giller left the agency to run his own consulting company for six years prior to accepting the interagency fire staff officer for the Fremont-Winema National Forest and Lakeview District BLM.
“Along with his other vast experience, John’s background as an interagency fire management officer will help ensure success of our Service First pilot project,” Connell said. “This pilot project is designed to increase our efficiencies and support our employees who currently work across agency lines. John understands interagency complexities, and we value his leadership in this endeavor.” Giller, who is currently acting Fire Director, officially starts his new position at the State Office of the BLM and Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest regional office in Portland on April 29.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.