U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced October 10 that Vicki Christiansen will serve as the 19th Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Ms. Christiansen has been serving as Interim Chief since March of this year when Tony Tooke resigned after allegations of sexual misconduct were aired on the PBS program NewsHour.
On October 11 Secretary Perdue will swear her in as Chief in the Sidney Yates Building in Washington, D.C. at 9:45 a.m. ET.
Ms. Christiansen has experience in wildland fire suppression. After obtaining a degree in forestry at the University of Washington in 1983 she accrued firefighting experience with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. There is one report that she was qualified to use fireline explosives. Thirteen years after graduating she was the Washington State Forester. Between 2006 and 2012 she served in five different positions with the Washington DNR, Arizona Division of Forestry, and the U.S. Forest Service. Her last job before becoming interim USFS Chief was Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry with the USFS.
(UPDATE October 12, 2018)
NASF congratulates Vicki Christiansen on formally accepting the role of @forestservice Chief today. “We couldn’t be more pleased that Vicki has accepted the role of chief,” said Lisa Allen, NASF president and @MDC_online #StateForester. READ ON: https://t.co/a6XTlfjp1n pic.twitter.com/HO9Su90L7G
— State Foresters (@StateForesters) October 11, 2018
