MEET OUR WUIFI STAFF

Chief Frievalt (ret.) has served since 1979 with Special District, City, County, State, and Federal fire agencies in roles from Firefighter to Fire Chief. He holds a M.S. from Oklahoma State University in Fire and Emergency Management Administration, and currently serves as Director of the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Institute at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Frank is an SME for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Wildfire Advisory Council, and previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, with an emphasis on the development of resilient Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) communities. His work is grounded in aligning key stakeholders around a core set of parcel and community level mitigations that will disrupt the fire pathways which lead to conflagration. He is pursuing the actuarial valuation of risk mitigations, for both the public and private sectors, because we share the same desired outcome, minimizing property loss to the peril of wildfire. Director, Wildland-Urban Interface FIRE Institute: April 2023 - Present Provide overall visionary leadership and strategic management for the direction, coordination, and oversight of the new WUI FIRE Institute. Responsible for building a dynamic, results-oriented Institute that crosses industry and academic borders in California and beyond. Responsible for administering the Institute’s research, outreach and educational missions and will serve as the primary external face of the Institute. Conduct and provide support for research to support the Institute goals, build teams to tackle “wicked problems” in the WUI fire space including building fire-resistant buildings, landscapes, and communities, seek grants to support research programs and administer the Institute. The Director will establish an Advisory Board and collaborate with stakeholders from across the spectrum (industry, state and Federal agencies, etc.) to integrate these stakeholders and policymakers with Cal Poly faculty and students to conduct important applied research. The Director will engage faculty and students from all six academic colleges and others centers and institutes. The Director will engage in advancement activities in support of the Institute and its programs, research and teaching activities, and facilities, working closely with CAFES Advancement staff on establishing Institute funding goals and objectives and partnering with Advancement in securing necessary funding for meeting those objectives. The Director will be responsible for development of an annual report to communicate the Institute’s activities, programs, and advancement efforts to the industry, campus and public.

Sue holds a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an M.S. Degree from the University of California Davis. She has done research at Stanford University, been a founder of a hazardous materials information company and spent over 25 years supporting research at Cal Poly in the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. She completed the Registered Environmental Assessor Certificate Program in California as well as certificate programs from the Society of Research Administrators International in Departmental Administration and Leadership. She was a founding member of the CSU Agricultural Research Institute’s Logistics Group responsible for coordinating the administration of that program across all the campuses of the CSU. She champions student research and clear communication across disciplines.

Tim is the Senior Director of Development at the College of Agriculture, Food, & Environmental Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. For more than 25 years, Tim has been a leader in nonprofit and higher education fundraising, developing strategic partnerships with individuals, corporations, and foundations, and recruiting and managing boards and advisory councils. He is excited to apply his background in land conservation, natural resource management, forestry, and environmental science to raise resources in support of the WUI Fire Institute. Tim earned his B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, Master’s in Environment Management from Yale University, and certificates in Solid and Hazardous Waste Management from UCLA. He was a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs in Los Angeles, and a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Adam and his family were evacuated from the Hill and Woolsey Fires in 2018, which threatened their home in Ventura County. After staying up all night watching live news coverage of the fire, Adam knew that he wanted to help fight the encroaching threat of Wildland Urban Interface fires. On the career path to do so, Adam aspires to become an Emergency Manager for communities that face the threat of wildfires, all while protecting our natural environment. Adam is currently studying Forest and Fire Science as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He has already incorporated Cal Poly’s motto of “Learn by Doing” by working as a wildland firefighter and emergency medical technician on the Los Padres National Forest, fighting wildfires throughout the state during the summer. While being on the frontlines, he embodies the harsh physical environment that firefighters are put in every day and the resiliency they must endure to complete such daunting tasks. Adam deeply values being coachable and is always seeking opportunities to learn and deepen his understanding.

Oliver's experience as a wildland firefighter shaped his commitment to building safer, more resilient communities. After supporting suppression efforts on large-scale wildfires and applying fuel-management practices to protect structures, he became interested in how thoughtful planning, environmental stewardship, and community design can reduce wildfire risk before emergencies occur. Oliver now hopes to combine his field experience with a career in sustainable urban planning, environmental planning, and wildfire-resilient development. Oliver is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in City and Regional Planning with a minor in Sustainable Environments at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. His academic and professional work includes GIS analysis, land-use planning, urban design, community engagement, site planning, and three-dimensional visualization. As a GIS intern with Cal Poly’s City and Regional Planning Department, he is developing an interactive ArcGIS platform that organizes more than 20 years of student planning projects into a standardized spatial database. Through projects involving redevelopment, master planning, accessory dwelling unit design, and stakeholder collaboration, Oliver has developed a strong interest in translating regulations, spatial data, and community needs into practical designs people can understand and support. He continually seeks opportunities to expand his technical knowledge and contribute to communities that are sustainable, inclusive, and prepared for future environmental challenges.