Jennifer Gray Thompson

Jennifer Gray Thompson, now renowned as the CEO of After The Fire USA, LLC and After the Fire USA (501c3), has a story that could only be described as a journey of resilience and determination. Once a high school dropout, homeless teenager, and a poverty-stricken single mom, Thompson's trajectory changed drastically when she self-funded her education and earned a Master's of Public Administration from the University of Southern California's Price School of Public Policy.

Thompson's personal and professional life took a pivotal turn when she became the Executive Director of Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF) in 2017 after devastating fires in San Francisco's North Bay. In 2020, in response to the Era of Megafires, RNBF created After the Fire USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding those affected by these increasingly frequent and destructive events. Her dedication to this effort is a testament to her leadership abilities and her commitment to service.

Thompson's influence extends beyond her RNBF and After the Fire USA role. In 2022, she was named to Forbes' 50 over 50 IMPACT List and was appointed to the Bipartisan Policy Center Disaster Response Reform Task Force in 2023. She also testified in front of the US Senate in December of 2023 on the subject of codifying disaster block grant funds, further highlighting her expertise and dedication to disaster management.

Beyond her roles in these organizations, Thompson is also the host of the podcast "How to Disaster," where she has published over 70 episodes. This platform allows her to share survivor experiences, best practices, and mitigation measures to ensure safety in the face of disasters. Her ability to articulate these complex and sensitive topics with empathy and clarity truly showcases her exceptional communication skills and her expertise in disaster management. She is a nationally recognized subject matter expert (SME) in mega-fire recovery and presents at several national conferences. Thompson has also been featured in local, regional, and national news outlets as a subject matter expert on mega-fire recovery and resiliency.