Our Team
Randy Skelton
President
After 8 years as Assistant Fire Director of Operations for the US Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region in California, Randy retired with 33 years of service across 5 Geographic Regions and 6 National Forests. He spent 10 years on Interagency Hotshot Crews, culminating as Superintendent of the Boise Hotshots, before advancing to leadership roles including Battalion Chief, Zone Division Chief, Chief 2, and Chief 1.
During his time with the US Forest Service, Randy served over 10 years on the NWCG Fire Leadership Subcommittee, where he helped develop and implement staff rides and leadership curriculum. He represented the USFS in the 2002 Wildland Fire and Marine Corps exchange program and served as the Intermountain Region’s representative on the USFS National Fire Diversity Committee for two years. Skelton has been a member of the US Hotshots Association since 2017 and is the current standing President since 2022.
Shawn Baker
Vice President
Shawn Baker retired from the U.S. Forest service after a 30 year career as a wildland firefighter. He spent 23 of those years working on Interagency Hotshot Crews and retired in 2021 after serving as the Superintendent of the Stanislaus Hotshot Crew. During his time with the U.S. Forest Service Shawn served as a member of many committees and programs that supported the training and development of wildland firefighters and Forest Service employees. Shawn has been a lifetime member of the U.S. Hotshot Association since 2016 and began working with the Stan Stewart Scholarship committee in 2025.
Currently Shawn continues to work as an adjunct instructor with the Reedley College Wildland Fire program as well as a consultant with an organization that provides training and development for Local Conservation Corps.
Cody Chiverton
Treasurer
Cody Chiverton began his Hotshot career in 2014 with the Rogue River Hotshots where he spent 6 seasons as a seasonal and eventually a Senior Firefighter. In 2020, he accepted a Squad Leader position with the ZigZag Hotshots as the saw boss. Cody was captivated by chainsaws and developed his own saw program and training, all while discovering a new passion for teaching others.
During those years he worked his way through college and attended classes in the fall and winter at Central Oregon Community College where he eventually transferred to Oregon State University-Cascades. In 2021, he earned his Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Conservation.
In 2023 after 10 seasons, he spent his final season on an IHC with the Eldorado Hotshots in Region 5 before stepping away from the U.S. Forest Service to explore other careers and opportunities outside of wildland fire. Since then, he has worked in the private sector managing projects in fuels reduction and timber harvest.
Cody still carries the same discipline and skills learned during his time on IHCs which include always leaving things better than you found them. His time on IHCs allowed him to discover a deep fulfillment in helping others. He advocates for those in need and passes on the skills, experiences, and stories to improve the community and take care of the next generation of Hotshots.
Aside from work, Cody enjoys spending time and sharing his passions with his wife. They currently live in Southern Oregon and dedicate their time to their home, fitness and health, and appreciating the outdoors. Trail running, backpacking, hunting, hiking, and mountain biking are just a few ways they embrace the natural world.
Dan Kleinman
Dan dedicated his entire career to Wildland Fire and All-Hazard Incident management. He spent 12 years with the Fulton Hotshots, including 7 years as their Superintendent. Throughout his career, Dan responded to a wide range of emergencies, from small brush fires to major wildfires, and participated in all-hazard responses such as the 9/11 rescue efforts and Hurricane Sandy relief.
His work with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) took him across the United States and even to Australia, providing him with diverse and rewarding experiences until his retirement in 2015. Since 2019, Dan has served on the board of the United States Hotshots Association (USHA), currently holding the position of Treasurer.
Dan's motivation for involvement with USHA stems from his desire to support both current and former Hotshots in any way possible. He and his wife now reside in Glennville, CA, coincidentally the home base of the Fulton Hotshots where he once served. They are the proud parents of three adult children - two daughters and a son.
Lynn Correa
Secretary
Lynn Correa serves as the Secretary for the U.S. Hotshots Association, where she supports the organization’s mission to preserve the past and pay it forward. She has been a member of the U.S. Hotshots Association since 2021 and before that had volunteered in fundraisers years prior. Lynn has worked for Rio Bravo Hotshots and Breckenridge Hotshots. Currently, her day job is Helitack Captain with the U.S. Forest Service and her leadership and expertise play a crucial role in advancing the nonprofit’s goals and initiatives. Lynn brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the role with 23 seasons of fire. Outside of work, Lynn enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two dogs, embracing the joys of family life and the great outdoors.
Brian Tai
Brian started fire in the Columbia River Gorge, needing a summer job to help pay his way through college. The fire bug struck, and soon he went on to the Los Padres Hotshots, working for Stan Stewart and Ken Henson. Now an Ops Chief, primarily with the Alaska IMT, he's grateful for the foundations built along the way, by dirt, smoke, family-like mentors, honest work, wild locations, crushing assignments, forever friendships, and complex challenges. Brian has also had the opportunity to be cadre for L580 and South Canyon staff rides.
Along the way he's been involved in a few side hustles of which he's proud, being an early Board Member of The American Wildfire Experience, earning an MFA in writing, and being a contributor to the formation of the US Hotshots Association, and helping bring Mystery Ranch backpacks to the fireline, to name a few.
In the off-season, Brian is currently in another grad program, engages often in outdoor sports, and still can't help but redline when hiking, which is easier than it used to be.
Amanda Monthei
Amanda Monthei spent four years working in fire, including two seasons with Zigzag IHC, before leaving to pursue a career as a writer. In additional to writing about wildfire for publications like the Washington Post and The Atlantic, she also hosts Life with Fire Podcast, which features interviews with experts, policy makers, practitioners and others in the wildfire space. Since leaving operational fire in 2019, she has also continued to go out on fire assignments as a public information officer. Through all of her writing and communications work, she remains deeply committed to amplifying the challenges that wildland firefighters are facing, while also exploring ways for us to better coexist with wildfire.
Greg Gambill
Greg got his start in wildland firefighting during college on a 20-person state hand crew in the beautiful and remote Sinlahekin Valley of eastern Washington. He was hooked immediately. After college, he caught a break with the Smokey Bear Hotshots on the Lincoln National Forest, then led by Superintendent Rich Dolphin. Greg spent four seasons as a hotshot with Smokey Bear from 2002 to 2005 before heading back to school to study law. He has practiced as a licensed attorney ever since. Greg jokes that he is prouder of his Class C felling certification than his law license — and he is only half-joking. He is serious when he says he could still keep up with 20-somethings on a PT run — and is fooling no one but himself. In addition to serving on nonprofit boards as a volunteer, Greg has also represented nonprofit organizations professionally. Having joined the association relatively recently, he felt he could be doing more to help advance its mission. He is humbled by the opportunity to serve the hotshot community and looks forward to the work ahead
Holly Miran
Administrative Manager
Holly Miran serves as the Administrative Manager for the US Hotshots Association, where she plays a key role in supporting the organization’s operations, communications, strategic initiatives, and member engagement efforts. With a strong background in operations management, marketing, project coordination, and nonprofit support, Holly brings a unique combination of organization, leadership, and creative problem-solving to the Association.
In her role, Holly oversees a wide range of responsibilities including board and member communications, social media management, website updates, partnership coordination, event support, scholarship administration, elections management, and organizational systems. She has helped modernize and streamline several internal processes while also expanding the Association’s outreach and visibility through strategic communication efforts.
Outside of her work with USHA, Holly has spent years supporting and operating multi-million-dollar businesses and brands in the online business and marketing space. Her experience in high-level operations, leadership support, and community building allows her to bring both professionalism and innovation to the nonprofit sector. Passionate about serving the hotshot community, Holly is committed to helping strengthen the Association’s impact while preserving the legacy, culture, and brotherhood of the hotshot profession.
Kyle Clendenen
Kyle has been a Hotshot nearly his entire 21-year fire career. He started with CCC’s in 2002. Then in 2003 he came to the Bureau of Land Management on the Kern Valley Hotshots. He when through the apprenticeship and did time on a helicopter and engine before going back to the crew. He worked his way up through the ranks crewmember, senior, lead, Squad Boss, Captain, and now serves as the Superintendent of Kern Valley Hotshots. Outside of fire, Kyle enjoys spending time with the family, and doing wood projects when he can. A Lifetime Member of the U.S. Hotshots Association, Kyle joined the Board of Directors in 2022.
Corey Correa
Corey has been a Hotshot nearly his entire 21-year fire career. He started with the Bureau of Land Management on the Kern Valley Hotshots in 2004 before joining the Forest Service with Breckenridge in 2006, the year they earned IHC status. He went to Horseshoe Meadow Hotshots and started his permanent career before returning to Breckenridge Hotshots as a senior firefighter. He worked his way up through the ranks as a Squad Boss, Captain, and now serves as the Superintendent of Breckenridge.
Outside of chasing fire, Corey enjoys spending time with his wife Lynn, also a career Forest Service firefighter, on the river and trails of the Sequoia NF fishing, hiking, riding mountain bikes, and running their 2 dogs.
A Lifetime Member of the U.S. Hotshots Association, Corey joined the Board of Directors in 2022 to help continue the ethos of “Preserving the Past, Paying It Forward.”