Wayne Blankenship Jr

> M.S. in Environmental Science (B.S. -NIU, M.S. -OU)

>Forestry, Sustainability and Wildfire Research Scientist

>Red Cross of New Mexico DAT Captain Trainee/Disaster Response (participated in 2013 NM Flooding response) /Social Media team

>SkyWarn Spotter and CoCoRaHs Member

>Los Ranchos Citizen Corps Member

>Humanity Road volunteer

>Honorary Alaska Division of Forestry Wildland Fire Fighter

>FireWise

>#SMEM (Social Media for Emergency Management) and member of @EMCampNM

>#VOST Participant-VOST Projects participated in include=

>>>2013

~PowerHouse Fire in CA and Rim Fire in CA/WY

~Beaver Creek Fire in ID

~Typhoon Haiyan

>>>2012

~High Park and Waldo Canyon Fires in CO

~Whitewater-Baldy Complex in NM

~First ever Alaska Type 1 Incident Management VOST, in support of Bear Creek Fire in AK and Trinity Ridge Fire in ID

~Portland NIMO and Pac NW VOST member, in support of Long Draw, Little Sand, Arapaho, Barry Point, Holloway, Table Mountain, Okanogan Complex, 10 Mile Complex and Springs Fire

~Helped OKVost during several Severe Wx Events

>>>>2011

~Las Conchas Fire in NM

~Track Fire in NM/CO (was first to report/photograph)

~Wallow Fire in AZ/NM

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>Born in Chciago!

>Eagle Scout

>Science Geek=Astronomy, Geology, Chemistry

>Route 66 Aficionado=all things The Mother Road and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad ("The Rock")

>Love to Disc Golf, Hike (personal best=14,008' at Huron Peak in CO), Camp and just about anything outdoors

>Fluent in Gaelic

>Of Irish and Cherokee Indian descent

>Have lived in Chicago, Joliet, DFW, Albuquerque, Tucumcari, Denver, Flagstaff and Phoenix