Speakers

Dave Bayard leads Puget Sound Energy’s Wildfire Risk Management unit, overseeing vegetation management across transmission rights-of-way and distribution systems to mitigate wildfire risk and maintain grid safety. With over a decade of hands-on experience in utility forestry in the Seattle region, Dave blends technical forestry knowledge with strategic wildfire resilience planning. A former arborist and eco-advocate, Dave helped transform Seattle City Light's vegetation program before bringing his expertise to PSE, where he's spearheading cross-functional wildfire readiness efforts—from predictive risk modeling and PSPS protocols to community outreach and multi-agency coordination. His leadership in wildfire risk mitigation positions him as an ideal panelist on topics including vegetation management, grid hardening, field intelligence, and collaborative emergency operations.