Chris Wagoner is a Grants Specialist at TFG and draws on over 12 years of experience in the public sector. His journey began in the United States Air Force, serving during Operation Enduring Freedom. He later transitioned to academia as a lecturer in History and Political Science at California State University, Chico. His path led him to the California Office of Emergency Services (CALOES), where he held various roles in response and recovery, notably during the Carr and Camp Fire efforts, and finally as a program manager for Special Projects and Declarations, aiding Municipal and State entities in emergency proclamations.
Chris expanded his expertise into consulting, leading vaccine rollouts during the Covid-19 pandemic and wildfire response efforts in Oregon and beyond. He shifted his focus to disaster mitigation, working as a Program Manager and the lead grant writer for the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County in California. Here, he spearheaded the creation of the largest defensible space program in the state, wrote grants for and managed over 3,000 acres of fuel reduction projects. Additionally, Chris launched the first-ever hazard tree removal project in the small mountain town of Mineral, California—aiming to transform a high hazard fuel zone into a low hazard area by removing over 10,000 trees from private residential land and setting a precedent in proactive stewardship for fuel reduction.
Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Masters in Public Administration from California State University, Chico. In his free time, he enjoys reading, fishing, traveling with his son, and humorously attempts to improve his golf skills.