Speakers

Dave Bayard leads Puget Sound Energy’s Wildfire Risk Management team, guiding the program’s development, coordination and implementation. With over two decades of hands-on experience in Utility Vegetation Management and Urban Foresty/Arboriculture, Dave approaches his work with a blend of real-world technical know-how, strategic systems-thinking and a commitment to servant-leadership.

A former arborist and (current) eco-advocate, Dave helped transform Seattle City Light's UVM program before bringing his expertise to PSE, where he's spearheading cross-functional wildfire risk mitigation efforts—from predictive risk modeling and PSPS protocols to community outreach and multi-agency coordination.

His experience and leadership positions him as an ideal panelist on topics including vegetation management, utility wildfire risk mgmt., field intelligence, and collaborative emergency preparedness/response.