Jennifer Gray Thompson

Jennifer Gray Thompson is a nationally recognized leader in wildfire recovery and resilience whose personal journey informs her work in disaster management and community recovery. Once a high school dropout and homeless teenager, Thompson later self-funded her education, earning a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California Price School of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts in English literature and history from Dominican University. Her professional background includes roles as a high school teacher and public administrator, where she designed survivor-centered recovery systems and advised on federal policy related to wildfire disasters.

Thompson survived the North Bay fires that swept through California's Sonoma County, an experience that motivated her to address gaps in disaster preparedness and recovery. She collaborated with others to establish Rebuild NorthBay Foundation, a nonprofit focused on supporting fire victims and improving community resilience. As executive director, Thompson guided the organization in developing strategies for long-term recovery. In response to the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, Rebuild NorthBay Foundation created After the Fire USA, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing equitable recovery from megafires nationwide. As founder and CEO, Thompson leads a survivor-led organization that partners with public, private, and nonprofit sectors to raise awareness, educate policymakers, and empower local communities.

Thompson played a key role in securing more than $6 billion in federal tax relief for disaster survivors. She has been recognized on the Forbes 50 Over 50 IMPACT List and appointed to the Bipartisan Policy Center Disaster Response Reform Task Force. As a subject matter expert in megafire recovery, Thompson presents at national conferences and has testified before the U.S. Senate on disaster block grant funds. She is also co-founder of CANVAS, an association of disaster professionals focused on local, regional, and national reform.

Over seven years, Thompson has worked with 20 communities across four states affected by megafires, highlighting the challenges and resilience of these areas. After the Fire USA connects fire victims with experienced survivors and leads the "Before the Fire" program, which manages nearly $10 million in state and federal grants for wildlands fuel mitigation. Thompson also hosts the podcast "How to Disaster," which shares best practices, survivor experiences, and mitigation strategies for disaster preparedness and recovery. Her work has been featured in national news outlets including Washington Post, Reuters, New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, NPR's All Things Considered, NBC News, Meet the Press, CBS Evening News, and BBC World News. Thompson is recognized as a leading voice on disaster resilience, wildfire recovery, and community preparedness in the United States.