Jaron Brandon is the District 5 Supervisor for Tuolumne County, California. Raised in the county, he has a deep connection to the community, graduating from Sonora Union High School and later earning a degree in Political Science from UC Merced. He was elected in 2020 and re-elected in 2024.

At 32, Jaron is one of the State’s youngest county elected leaders and focuses primarily on the issues of affordable housing, economic development, and citizen accessibility to government – three areas that prevent people from living healthy, productive lives in his area. He’s additionally led major efforts to improve local public safety, library service, behavioral health, homelessness, and forest management.

Torri Keever is a Program Specialist for the Columbia College Apprenticeship Initiative, where she oversees the Forestry and Conservation, On-The-Job Training program; a program where Columbia College and CHIPS have partnered to provide student trainees a well-rounded hands-on training in efforts towards wildfire prevention and fuels reduction.

Torri’s experience in education brings a wealth of knowledge, where her focus is supporting the next generation on preserving forest health, all while enhancing employer relationships and partnerships.

I completed my PhD in Environmental and Forest Sciences from the University of Washington, specializing in wood products processing, utilization, and marketing. I worked and lived in all three states in the west coast over the past 20 years and am familiar with the natural environment in the western U.S. My work covers topics such as environmental assessment, woody biomass-based products, the end-of-life treatment of wood products, and mass timber production optimization. As the Woody Biomass and Forest Products Advisor at UCANR, my work focuses on exploring innovative ways to better utilize California’s forest resources and biomass, promoting forest fuel reduction strategies, developing biomass processing programs that are appropriate for the region, and contributing to local economic development.

Donna enjoys and is involved in many projects of community service.in West Point and Rail Road Flat. She has been an active CHIPS Board Mamber since 2016. Prior to that, she has had a 50+ yr professional life as a teacher.

She sees that the neessity of organizations like CHIPS to help rid the forests of excess fuels and turn this biomass into products inclluding electricty. These organizations offer jobs and career paths for local folks and college students with emphasis on Native Americans.

Personally, she enjoys traveling,hiking, biking and skiing with her two sons and two grandsons.

Rosemarie Smallcombe, District 1 Supervisor, Vice-Chair of the Mariposa County Board of Supervisors. Rosemarie Smallcombe was elected Mariposa County Supervisor in 2014 and reelected in 2018 and 2022, representing District 1 which includes El Portal, Jerseydale, Midpines, Yosemite West, and Yosemite Valley. With the redistricting that followed the 2020 Census, the communities of Wawona, Fish Camp and Ponderosa Basin were added to District 1. Prior to her service as a county supervisor, Rosemarie held positions in long range planning and international business intelligence and management at Stanford Research Institute, Varian Associates, and Space Systems Loral. After taking office in January 2015, she focused on identifying and developing responses to the tree mortality disaster. She has also been active in identifying strategies for biomass utilization, including biomass to energy and biochar. She holds a BA in psychology from UC Riverside, a MA in social sciences research and development from San Francisco State, and a MBA from Golden Gate University.

John Heywood has a background in finance, real estate, and business management. Over the past decade, after moving to the Sierra Nevada mountains, John has become involved in activities related to natural resources management.

Engaging in forest and agricultural systems, John has been focused on biomass utilization activities and the development of nature-based solutions for protecting our forests, watersheds and rural communities.