For my first twelve years in the fire service, I served as a Volunteer Firefighter in Indiana and Colorado. I found a love for wildland firefighting and spent 5 years with the Yellow Jackets – a Type II handcrew in Northern Colorado. Upon moving to Tennessee, I moved through the ranks of Firefighter, Engineer and Lieutenant on a career department just outside The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In 2010, as a pilot community, I helped the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) develop the National Ready, Set, Go! Program. In 2019, our Community received the IAFC Wildfire Mitigation Award. While serving that career environment, I also spent 6 years as a Volunteer Fire Chief in the Community where I lived. I am blessed to continue my journey as the Fire Chief for a District in Northern Utah. For more than 30 years, wherever I have lived, the fire service gave me belonging, purpose, and direction.