Chris Anthony
Chief Deputy Director
Chris Anthony serves California as a Governor Appointee overseeing nearly all aspects of CAL FIRE's Operational, Resource Management and Administrative functions as the Chief Deputy Director. Under the guidance of the Director and in conjunction with the Natural Resources Agency, Department of Finance, and Governor's Office, he oversees implementation of strategic initiatives and policies critical to ensuring wildfire resiliency, community preparedness, innovative technological advancements and operational efficiencies. During his career he has served in numerous fire protection, fire prevention, law enforcement, administration and resource management positions. He has worked as an Assistant Deputy Director with oversight of the departments statewide Cooperative Fire Protection, Training, Safety, Emergency Medical Services and Handcrew programs. Prior to this, Chris worked as the department’s Wildfire Resilience Staff Chief overseeing statewide programs designed to provide critical assistance to forest landowners impacted by wildfire and other climate-related events. He also worked as an Assistant Chief overseeing emergency response, fire prevention and community preparedness in South Lake Tahoe and Alpine County alongside numerous agencies. During this time, Chris was temporarily re-assigned to work alongside Cal OES as the Deputy Task Force Leader for the Governor’s Tree Mortality Task Force; helping to lead an effort of over eighty federal, state and local entities in response to the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation to address the massive tree die off in the Sierra Nevada. This effort eventually transitioned into today what is known as the Governor's Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force. Chris has also worked as an Assistant Chief overseeing administration, and he served as a Fire Prevention Bureau Chief where he oversaw law enforcement, arson and fire investigations, land use planning, defensible space and public education programs. He has worked as a CAL FIRE Unit Training Battalion Chief, a Forester overseeing forest stewardship and forest improvement for non-industrial landowners, a Regional Urban Forester in the Central Valley of California, and he began his career with CAL FIRE in 1993 at the Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Mendocino County. He is a Registered Professional Forester, California Peace Officer and has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from the University of California Berkeley. He currently resides in South Lake Tahoe and works at CAL FIRE's Headquarters in Sacramento.