Vicki Christiansen was named the 19th chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service in October.

Christiansen served as Interim Chief from March through September.

She is a former deputy chief for state and private forestry, where she had oversight of fire and aviation management, tribal relations, forest health protection, cooperative forestry, grey towers and conservation education.

Christiansen joined the Forest Service in 2010 as the deputy director of fire and aviation management. She has also served as an Arizona state forester and director of the Arizona Division of Forestry, as well as a Washington state forester with the Washington Department of Natural Resources.