Jennifer Gray Thompson
Jennifer Gray Thompson, the CEO of After the Fire USA, LLC & After the Fire USA (501c3), has a remarkable journey rooted in community disaster. She graduated from Dominican University and earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California’s Price School of Public Policy. In 2017, after devastating fires in San Francisco’s North Bay, she became the Executive Director of Rebuild NorthBay Foundation (RNBF), a 501c3 formed to help the region rebuild. In response to the Era of Megafires, a relatively recent chronic climate-based disaster, RNBF created After the Fire USA in 2020. Gray Thompson was named to Forbes’ 50 over 50 IMPACT List in 2022 and appointed to the Bipartisan Policy Center Disaster Response Reform Task Force in 2023. As a nationally recognized subject matter expert (SME) in megafire recovery, she presents at several national conferences, including those hosted by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Fannie Mae, Smart Cities, FEMA, MIT, and National VOAD. Jennifer has also been featured in local, regional, and national news outlets, including NPR’s All Things Considered, NBC News, Meet the Press, and CBS Evening News. She hosts the “How to Disaster” podcast, which amplifies best practices, survivor experiences, and mitigation measures to ensure safety. Jennifer is a fierce federal policy advocate, helping to secure over $6B in direct tax relief for disaster survivors in 2024. Her commitment to equitable and resilient recoveries empowers wildfire communities and bridges the gap between those on the frontlines of disaster and those who create policies.
How to Disaster Podcast: How to Disaster Podcast - After the Fire USA