Every organization relies on its officers to provide direction and guidance to achieve its goals, and the Big Tujunga Fire Safe Council is no different. Our elected officers bring with them a wealth of diverse experiences and areas of expertise which help them to work through the challenges and opportunities involved in making our community as safe as possible from wildfires and other hazards posed by living in the wilderness.
President: Kirk Gardner
Kirk is a retired Army Staff Sargent who served as a military firefighter in several different locations, from Alaska to California, from wilderness areas to Army bases, and more. His knowledge and experience in fire service helps him to liase effectively with Forest Service personnel, and to speak on behalf of residents in Big Tujunga Canyon who need assistance clearing brush or removing fire hazards from their lots. Kirk is a relative newcomer to Big T, having moved into the canyon in October 2021, but his love and appreciation for the region inspired him to volunteer to serve as the Fire Safe Council President.
Vice President/Secretary: Mark Fitzsimmons
Mark worked as a rocket development and combustion systems test engineer for 35 years, and is now retired. He spends most of his time wood turning and wine making. His experience leading teams, fixing water systems, tree cutting, and writing proposals comes in handy working on the fire safe council.
Treasurer: Charmaine Ruddock
Charmaine Ruddock was born in Ohio, raised in suburbs of Detroit, and moved to California in 1987. In spite of these urban beginnings, she always loved nature and the outdoors. After moving to California, she hiked a lot in the Angeles Forest, especially in the early 2000s, and it was always a dream to live there. That dream was realized when she moved to Trail Canyon in 2009, but that dream was cut short when her cabin was burned during the Station Fire. Luckily, an opportunity to return to the Angeles as a resident arrived in December 2010, and Charmaine has lived there ever since. When her neighbors began a local fire safe council, Charmaine volunteered to lend her experience in bookkeeping and finance because of her belief that a community working together can overcome many challenges that occur living in a high wildfire risk area.
VP Emeritus & Webmaster: Bronwen Aker
Bronwen is a geek by trade and has a lifelong love of nature and the wilderness. She lives in the cabin her grandmother bought in the 1970s, where she herself has lived since the late 1990s. Bronwen spent many years in web development, and lends that expertise to the Fire Safe Council, as she did in the wake of the Station Fire in 2009 by creating and maintaining the Angeles Rising website. Angeles Rising served for years as a way of connecting residents, fire survivors, and various agencies in the wake of that devastating fire.