2024 Winners

Kelsey Winter is the mother of three young girls and she and her husband are grateful to be able to raise their family on the traditional lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples, today known as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. She is the Manager of Wildfire Operations Research at FPInnovations, a national not-for-profit that specializes in creating solutions that accelerate the growth of the Canadian forest sector. Winter’s team utilizes operations research projects to assist partners in increasing their positive impacts in the wildfire management ecosystem.

She is a PhD candidate with the University of Victoria Public Administration, focusing on barriers to wildfire resiliency. Winter has an interest in learning how policy can make space for Indigenous communities to prepare and recover from wildfires. She has a background in Natural Resources, Fire Ecology and Fire Management. Before FPInnovations, Winter ran the FireSmart program in BC and helped build the BC FireSmart Committee.

Kara started her career thanks to the push of her father to become a structural firefighter and then wildland firefighter. Over the past 30 years, she has held various roles such as forest technician and firefighter, fire behaviour analyst, public information officer, wildfire investigator and fire prevention officer. Kara’s current work interests include; fostering community engagement in wildfire mitigation and development through FireSmart practices, engaging firefighters to learn more and be a voice for wildfire, and collaborating between stakeholders on working together to foster resilience. When not in the office you will find her volunteering in her community as a firefighter, gardening or doing photography.

Cathy is a Registered Professional Forester who has worked in wildfire prevention for over 20 years. She was employed for several years as a Forest Consultant, but her FireSmart journey began with the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Wildfire. Following the fire, she was hired to oversee post-wildfire remediation activities, as well as ongoing planning and implementation of wildfire risk reduction initiatives in community and regional parks of the Central Okanagan. This included seeking funding from various sources, as well as working with a wide variety of people including, community groups, homeowners, volunteers, mitigation crews, fire departments, and consultants. Working with such a diverse array of individuals and groups has enabled her to provide FireSmart education to many people within her community. She joined First Nations’ Emergency Services Society in 2022 where, as a Mitigation Specialist, she assists First Nation communities in their FireSmart journey. She is honoured to live on the Traditional Territory of the Sylix/Okanagan People, where she raised her family and enjoys spending time with her grandchildren.

Bio coming soon!

Melanie Stutt began her Wild Fire involvement as an active member of the Chu Chua Volunteer Fire Dept with Simpcw First Nation in 2016. Being a rural community surrounded by forests, the threats and reality of wildfire are real. Melanie was a key player in creating the first Indigenous Initial Attack crew, who are now in their 4th season on contract with B.C. Wildfire Services. She takes a full community approach to Wild Fires and believes the answer to wildfire resiliency is a combined approach of education, community involvement, forest and land management and suppression efforts. She feels very strongly about solid relationship and collaboration between all parties will be the key to managing life and the future of living among the forest.