Ryan Maye Handy

Ryan is a wildfire and land use expert for the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire program. Her experience as an urban planner and former journalist brings invaluable insights to communities that must prepare for increasing wildfire risks.

• Authored Tracking Western states’ diverse approaches to wildfire building codes
• News Saving History from Wildfire with Headwater Economics’ Ryan Handy
• Authored Protecting our Past: Wildfire Strategies for Historic Buildings
• Contribution Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
• Authored Crossover landscaping can enhance wildfire resistance and save water

Brent Powell

Brent leads Headwaters Economics’ web and media development. Blending technical skills with creativity, he supports the team with website management, photography, videography, and graphic design.

• Contribution Tracking Western states’ diverse approaches to wildfire building codes
• Contribution Future-proofing the outdoor recreation economy
• Contribution Reinvesting in rural America
• Contribution A rural capacity map
• Contribution Austin, Texas: Built for Wildfire
• Contribution The American Community Survey in our data tools
• Authored Building for wildfire
• Contribution Mobile home residents face higher flood risk
• Contribution Innovative New Ways to Count Outdoor Recreation

Kris Smith, Ph.D.

Kristin “Kris” Smith, Ph.D., is the Lead Researcher for Headwaters Economics’ FloodWise Community Assistance program. Her research on hazards, natural resources, and rural economic development is informed by her on-the-ground work with local governments and technical experts helping communities reduce flood risk.

• Contribution The local economic implications of Lower Snake River dam removal
• News New York Moves Forward With a Brooklyn Flood Protection Plan That Falls Short of Other City Projects
• News New York Moves Forward With a Brooklyn Flood Protection Plan That Falls Short of Other City Projects
• Authored Reclaiming abandoned mines can protect against harmful and costly flood disasters
• News Mapping Rural Local Government Capacity for Climate Resilience Projects in the United States
• Authored How rural communities can ensure development projects deliver local benefits
• News Rural communities were promised millions in disaster funds. Trump is ending it
• Authored Montana Community Foundation leverages data to reach more rural and Tribal communities
• News State and local governments pay growing share of disaster recovery costs
• News On FEMA tour, rural counties share struggles of accessing federal disaster aid

Bill Daigle

Bill is Headwaters Economics’ lead software developer and programmer. With creative vision and skill, he designs, builds, and maintains the team’s data tools and data visualizations.

• Contribution Tracking Western states’ diverse approaches to wildfire building codes
• Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants fill a critical gap for rural communities
• Contribution A rural capacity map
• Contribution The American Community Survey in our data tools
• Contribution Latinos face higher flood risks than other groups

Tara Preston

Tara collects, updates, and helps analyze the data that feed all of Headwaters Economics’ online socioeconomic tools and products. An insightful data engineer, she knows that good stories can be found in data.

• Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants fill a critical gap for rural communities
• Contribution Economic performance of communities near national monuments
• Contribution Reclaiming abandoned mines can protect against harmful and costly flood disasters
• Contribution National public lands are vital to local economies
• Contribution Extreme heat is not just an urban threat: The risk to rural communities
• Contribution Housing on public lands will be limited by wildfire risk and development challenges
• Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants benefit rural and low-capacity communities
• Contribution The economic future of outdoor recreation in New Mexico’s Cibola and McKinley counties
• Contribution Future-proofing the outdoor recreation economy
• Contribution Reinvesting in rural America

Scott Story

Scott is the team’s lead GIS analyst, database manager, and data engineer. He coordinates and updates the data behind all Headwaters Economics’ tools and data visualizations. He holds a Master’s degree in Biology from Montana State University.

• Contribution The Outdoor Recreation Economy by State
• Fieldnote Data update: Public land ownership if the United States
• Contribution Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
• Contribution Housing on public lands will be limited by wildfire risk and development challenges
• Contribution America’s urban wildfire crisis: More than 1,100 communities at risk
• Contribution Three trends showcase the strength of the outdoor recreation economy
• Contribution Economic Impact of National Parks
• Contribution Updates to Wildfire Risk to Communities reveal 115 million people living with high wildfire risk
• Contribution A rural capacity map
• Contribution The American Community Survey in our data tools

Patricia Hernandez

Patty Hernandez is co-founder and Executive Director of Headwaters Economics. Patty has 18 years of experience in researching economic development, building partnerships, and developing technology solutions to help communities plan and adapt to a changing world.

• Contribution The path to wildfire-resistant building codes in Colorado offers lessons for other states
• Authored Building wildfire-resistant homes after disasters will save billions
• News Is your Montana home at risk from wildfire? These tools can help you find out
• Contribution Extreme heat is not just an urban threat: The risk to rural communities
• Contribution Community Wildfire Defense Grants benefit rural and low-capacity communities
• Contribution Cascading wildfire insurance issues impact local and state budgets
• Authored Reinvesting in rural America
• News Wildfire mitigation, firefighting boosted by legislation, officials tell committee
• News More Americans are moving into areas with higher flood and fire risk
• Contribution Rising demand for FEMA’s BRIC program far exceeds available funding

Bridget Mitchell, PE

Bridget leads flood mitigation technical assistance at Headwaters Economics’ FloodWise Community Assistance program. She is a professional engineer with more than 20 years of experience working with communities to provide permitting, design, planning, and construction services.

• Authored States must modernize stream crossing standards to protect communities from flooding  
• Contribution Reinvesting in rural America