Four years after the Dixie Fire destroyed communities and scorched nearly one million acres, Keli Ward has joined the rebuild effort as Plumas County’s disaster recovery coordinator. A former resident of Greenhorn and Plumas National Forest employee, Ward will oversee the county’s local recovery projects, programs and grants.
No stranger to disasters, Ward was evacuated from her home in Greenhorn two summers in a row, first for the 2020 North complex, then the 2021 Dixie fire. “I’ve seen firsthand how the community was affected and how individuals were affected,” she said.
Ward has worked in emergency management, planning and community development for employers that include Caltrans and the Army Corps of Engineers as well as the U.S. Forest Service. She earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources from University of Arizona.
Her most recent job was park supervisor at Indian Grinding Rock State Historic Park in Pine Grove. Ward worked closely with the tribes interested in the park’s numerous cultural resources on projects that included interpretation and vegetation management. As Plumas County’s disaster recovery coordinator, she looks forward to public outreach and tribal input, she said.
The full time position is brand new, approved in March by the Plumas County Board of Supervisors. Ward will work with county and community agencies to provide strategic direction and administrative support for long-term recovery projects. She will be the contact person for local, state and federal government agencies and the community on disaster recovery projects. She will also manage and administer grants related to Dixie Fire recovery.
The job is a unique opportunity to interact with and learn from many groups and individuals, Ward said. Having people to “walk me through a lot of the history and share that with me is awesome. And it’s not something that is always guaranteed when a new position like this is created,” she said.
Her annual salary as disaster recovery coordinator is $80,288 plus benefits. Expected to last through June 2028, the total allocation for the position is estimated at $440,919, said Plumas County Planning Director Tracey Ferguson.
Funding comes from the county’s $7.8 million in unrestricted settlement funds paid by Pacific Gas and Electric Co. for the damages caused by the fire, which PG&E has admitted responsibility for starting.
Less than a week into the job, Ward said her immediate priorities are to catch up on what’s been done and who’s been doing it. “I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to working with everyone,” she said.
source: Plumas Sun
