Mary Ann worked for the US Forest Service for 32 years, retiring in 2009 from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) as the FS National Incident Business Practices Program Manager; responsible for development and implementation of incident business policy and procedures. During her career she worked in a variety of ICS positions in Planning and Finance including Type II Plans Chief; Type 1 Incident Business Advisor; and Finance Chief/Plans Chief for National Fire Use Management teams. She served as the Business Lead for the I-Suite (Incident automation) software application and Communications Director for the ROSS (resource ordering) application.
Mary Ann has a variety of training development and instruction experience including serving as an instructor for Planning Section Resource Unit Leader, Documentation Unit Leader and Demobilization Unit Leader; course development and instructor for Finance Section Chief and Incident Business Advisor; and course development and instructor for Emergency Support Function 4 courses (ESF4 – Firefighting). She was an instructor for a Finance/Admin Section Chief course taught to high-ranking government officials in India as part of an overall program to integrate the ICS system into the Indian Disaster Response System, and she was coordinator and lead instructor for a small cadre that developed a course and conducted an I-Suite training workshop for Indian government officials in New Delhi.
Mary Ann is a trained facilitator and has managed a variety of meetings including national interagency conferences; strategic planning sessions; public meetings; and organizational development.
Since retirement, Mary Ann has worked with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Incident Business Committee as a consultant; taught Finance Section Chief for the State of Idaho; coordinated and updated the Incident Business Advisor Training Course; and represented Finance on several Fire Cost Reviews.
Mary Ann has a Bachelor’s Degree from Eastern Oregon State College.