Our Team

President

Forest Fire Chief, USFS (retired)
Emergency Management Consultant

Riva Duncan retired from the US Forest Service in 2020 after over 32 years in wildland fire. Her career spanned five Forest Service regions (9, 8, 4, 5, and 6), and she retired as Forest Fire Chief on the Umpqua NF in Southern Oregon.  Riva's experience includes working on engines,  T2IA/T1 crews, and helitack before moving into fuels management, operations, and forest fire chief positions. Since retirement Riva has held various board positions on Grassroots Wildland Firefighters.  She is passionate about advocating for wildland firefighters and ensuring they are valued and recognized for the work they do and the sacrifices they make, and she believes it is her duty to give back to the profession. Riva still ADs for the FS and also works as an emergency management consultant specializing in international programs.  After living and working in seven different states across the US, Riva settled in Asheville, NC in 2022.

Vice President

Forest Fire Chief, USFS
Deputy Regional Fire Director (Retired)
Author, Public Speaker, Podcast Host

Bobbie Scopa is a retired firefighter with 45 years experience having worked for 3 fire departments, 2 federal fire agencies and 1 state fire agency. She was a qualified type 1 operations section chief. She is a published author, podcast host and keynote speaker. 

Executive Secretary

James Puerini is the Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the Climate & Wildfire Institute. He began his career as a federal wildland firefighter for a tribe in Oregon and also served on an Oregon Department of Forestry Helitack Crew, gaining firsthand experience in suppression, prescribed fire, and fuels restoration.

Witnessing the toll of catastrophic fire led James to Washington, D.C., where he supported the offices of Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici. He later spent five years at The Nature Conservancy, leading global policy initiatives and supporting community-based forestry partnerships.

James holds a Master of Forestry from Yale University, where he founded the Yale Wildland Firefighter Rights Initiative. Combining field experience with high-level policy expertise and non-profit management, James is dedicated to advocating for the workforce and advancing the mission of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters.

Treasurer

Jami is a seasoned financial executive with over two decades of experience in accounting, financial operations, and leadership across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.She brings a strong track record of operational improvements, system implementations, and cross-functional leadership. Jami has previously held senior finance roles in manufacturing, healthcare, and biotech industries, consistently driving efficiency, compliance, and financial clarity. Credentials: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Oregon and Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), with a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Idaho.

Executive Director

Susie Douglas brings 9 years of wildland firefighting experience as a rappeller, hotshot, and crew member, combined with strategic business leadership skills, to her role as part-time Executive Director. Her perspective is strengthened by a BS in Fire Ecology & Management and 7 years of logistical expertise managing fuel operations across 3 US Antarctic Research Stations, where she mastered complex systems under extremely remote conditions. As a proven business development strategist, Susie has guided numerous organizations from inception to implementation while also serving in leadership roles with the US Hotshots Association and Wildfire Industry Collective, where she champions wildland firefighter voices across multiple organizations. When not advocating for firefighters, she's riding a mountain bike with her furry canine companion in tow. 

Advisor

Andrea Delgado is a policy strategist who currently serves as Founder and Principal of Hawk Eye Strategies, LLC, a consulting practice rooted in integrity, precision, and impact. Andrea previously served as Deputy Regional Forester for the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region and as Chief of Staff for Natural Resources and Environment at the USDA, where she played a pivotal role in historic efforts to reform wildland firefighter compensation and well-being. During her tenure at the USDA, Andrea prioritized direct engagement with Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, ensuring that national policies reflected the needs of the boots on the ground. Andrea maintains fire qualifications to support Incident Management Teams. As an Advisor to Grassroots, Andrea combines federal strategy and operational experience with a record of ensuring that policies are shaped by the voices of those they impact most. When she’s not working, she’s trekking and birdwatching through public lands and wilderness areas. 

Advisor

Lucas Minton's public service career began in the early 1990s with the U.S. Marine Corps, establishing his foundation in leadership and emergency response. He transitioned to wildland fire with the BLM's Diamond Mountain Hotshots, then joined the National Park Service at Grand Canyon—known as the "Big Ditch." Over 25 years with the U.S. Forest Service, Lucas served as Smokejumper, Helitack/Rappeller, and Fire Management Officer across the western United States. His duty stations included West Yellowstone, multiple National Forests, BIA Regional Office in Nashville, and USFS Region 4 in Utah, where he retired. Lucas has served on Incident Management Teams from Type 3 through Type 1, holding qualifications including Type 1 Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, and Safety Officer. He currently serves as Wildland Division Chief for Weber Fire District and as an IC for a Great Basin CIMT.

Outside work, Lucas enjoys family time, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and overlanding.