Vicki Christiansen
Chief
Vicki Christiansen serves as Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, leading a workforce of more than 25,000 permanent employees who steward 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands; support the world’s largest forestry research organization; and work with states, tribes and others to sustain all forests so they can benefit all citizens, today and in the future. Over her 36-year career, she has accumulated a wealth of experience in natural resource and wildland fire management. Her commitment to the core values of the Forest Service, which are conservation, service, interdependence, diversity and safety, is evident in the priorities she sets for the agency. As Chief, Vicki is leading agency efforts to improve the conditions of America’s forests and grasslands by modernizing how we do business to increase active forest management and deliver landscape conservation through shared stewardship with local, state and national partners and tribes. Vicki’s focus on relationships inside and outside the agency is reflected in the Forest Service’s dedication to caring for the land, communities and the people we serve.
Vicki joined the Forest Service in 2010 as the Deputy Director of Fire and Aviation Management. Prior to serving as Chief, she worked as Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry overseeing Forest Service activities in managing wildland fire and working with our partners to sustain the health and productivity of non-federal forest lands. Prior to joining the Forest Service, she served as the Arizona State Forester and director of the Arizona Division of Forestry, where she was responsible for the protection of 22 million acres of state and private lands in Arizona. She had previously served as the Washington State Forester, the culmination of a 26-year career with Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Angela Coleman
Acting Associate Chief
Angela Coleman serves as the Acting Associate Chief of the USDA Forest Service. Prior to this new assignment, she served as Forest Service Chief of Staff beginning in 2015, where she oversaw the Chief’s Office daily operations and staff, issues management, Office of Communications and Legislative Affairs programs. She provided senior-level support to the Chief of the agency and the Executive Leadership Team to advance and deliver the agency’s natural resource conservation mission.
Angela has served in numerous leadership roles with the Forest Service, to include Washington Office roles as Associate Deputy Chief, Business Operations; and Associate Deputy Chief, Research and Development. Before that, she served as Deputy Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region for National Forests located in California and parts of Nevada. She also served for seven years as Regional Communications Director for the Southern Region in Atlanta. A native of Phenix City, Alabama, Angela has amassed more than 27 years with the Forest Service. She launched her career as a professional journalist with News Media conglomerate Knight-Ridder, serving as a news reporter for the Pulitzer-prize winning Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Angela has served as a member of both the natural resource conservation and communications communities, including The National Wild Turkey Federation and Sigma Delta Chi Society of Professional Journalists. A summa cum laude graduate of Troy University, she completed post graduate course work at American University, Washington, D.C. She also served as a Senior Executive Fellow for Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In 2010, Angela was sworn in as a member of the Senior Executive Service.
Chief's Office Staff
Name |
Title |
Phone Number |
|---|---|---|
| Vicki Christiansen | Chief | (202) 205-8439 |
| Angela Coleman | Acting Associate Chief | (202) 205-0998 |
| Tracy Tophooven | Acting Chief of Staff | (202) 205-1779 |
| Laurel Mcclean | Executive Assistant to the Chief | (202) 205-8439 |
| William Low | Acting Executive Assistant to the Associate Chief | (202) 205-1779 |
| Vickie L. Richardson | Exec. Assistant to the Chief of Staff | (202) 205-0998 |
| Angela Warner | Program Specialist | (202) 205-1422 |