James Whitehead
Bridging wildfire, social science, forestry, and economics to design resilience strategies that work for the communities they’re meant to serve.
Who I am
I grew up in interior British Columbia and spent years working on the frontlines as a wildland firefighter in northern BC. That operational experience showed me that wildfire challenges extend well beyond suppression and are fundamentally social, rooted in coordination, policy, economics, and community.
That conviction led me to a Master's degree at the University of Northern British Columbia, where I focused on the social and governance dimensions of wildfire risk in rural communities. Since then I've worked at the intersection of research, policy, and practice, most recently as Special Project Manager with the Mitigating Wildfire Initiative at Simon Fraser University's Centre for Dialogue, helping governments, insurers, and communities translate complex risk into coordinated action.
I now work independently, bringing together social science, governance, wildfire operations, and strategic engagement to build resilience that actually reaches the ground.
I'm based in Squamish, BC.
What i do
Drawing on experience in wildfire operations, social geography, and strategic engagement, I work with governments, insurers, and cross-sector initiatives to translate wildfire risk into coordinated, practical action. I focus on aligning policy, funding, and community engagement so resilience efforts move beyond plans and into implementation.
Strategic Wildfire Resilience Advisory
Ongoing advisory support for governments, risk-focused organizations, and cross-sector initiatives navigating wildfire risk, funding, and long-term resilience strategy
Community Engagement & Facilitation
Designing and leading community engagement initiatives and dialogues that align policy, operational realities, and community priorities.
Risk, Investment and Cross Sector Collaboration
Supporting insurers, investors, and resilience-focused organizations in developing partnerships, investment strategies, and scalable approaches to wildfire risk reduction.
Fire Technology and Innovation Advisory
Advising technology companies, investors and climate ventures on wildfire governance, procurement systems, implementation barriers, and pathways to real-world adoption.
Current Focus Areas
Scaling forest sector involvement in wildfire mitigation
Developing investment pathways to strengthen community resilience
Advancing locally led wildfire initiatives in remote and rural communities
Integrating emerging technologies into wildfire mitigation and suppression systems
Cross-jurisdictional co-ordination in resilience planning
