DPS NEWS

DPS’ Kathy Holder Appointed to National Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission

Recently, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and Homeland Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), announced the selection of members to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.

Kathy Holder, from DPS’ Division of Emergency Management (DEM), was named as one of those commission members.

What Will the Commission Do?

The Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission will play a key role in recommending ways federal agencies can better prevent, mitigate, suppress and manage wildland fires. It will also recommend policies and strategies on how to restore the lands affected by wildfire.

The commission’s work will build on existing interagency federal efforts such as the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and the White House Wildfire Resilience Interagency Working Group and will continue to pursue a whole-of-government approach to wildfire risk reduction and resilience. Its creation comes at an essential time as shifting development patterns, land and fire management decisions, and climate change have turned fire “seasons” into “years” in which increasingly destructive fires exceed available federal firefighting resources.

Utah and Western States Representation

When the call went out for non-federal nominations for the commission, Kathy and her colleagues at DEM wanted to make sure that western states, and Utah, in particular, were represented on the commission. With western states getting struck by wildfire due to the extended drought, they applied with the hope of gaining a seat at the table. Fortunately, Kathy’s application was successful.

“What I like the most about working for DPS and DEM is the fact that we really do have a mission to help our state be a safer place.”

Kathy Holder

Over 500 Applicants, 18 Chosen for Primary Panel

There were more than 500 applicants for the non-federal positions on the board. Kathy Holder was one of 18 chosen for a primary panel role. There are also 18 alternate commission members. Click here to read about all of the commission members.

About Kathy Holder 

Kathy Holder is Utah’s State Hazard Mitigation Officer and the Mitigation and Recovery Section Manager for the Utah Division of Emergency Management. She leads Utah’s Post Wildfire Mitigation Team and Utah’s State Hazard Mitigation Team. She served as the State Floodplain Manager/National Flood Insurance Coordinator for the State of Utah before her current position. She is a Certified Floodplain Manager with 14 years of experience in Emergency Management. Kathy has worked on several presidentially declared disasters in recovery and held the position of Deputy State Coordinating Officer for Public Assistance for two of Utah’s most recent presidentially declared disasters.   Kathy has held a position on the Utah Floodplain and Stormwater Management Association (UFSMA) board for the past six years. She holds degrees in Masters of Business Administration and a Bachelors of Public Administration and General Science. She has taught at the university level for over 11 years. Kathy engages in educating Utah communities, government agencies, private nonprofits, and citizens on regulations, permitting, building codes, mitigation, and recovery. 

Read More About DPS’ Division of Emergency Management Mitigation & Recovery Section

Click on the picture below to learn more about DEM’s Mitigation & Recovery Section and the plans they create to help Keep Utah Safe.