von Tillow Selected as Fire Mgmt. Officer of the S.B. District Ranger

Los Padres National Forest officials announced the selection of Mark von Tillow as the Fire Management Officer of the Santa Barbara District Ranger. Von Tillow served as a Santa Barbara District battalion chief for the past 10 years. Von Tillow succeeds Dana D’Andrea, who retired last fall. “Mark brings a wealth of experience from his many years in wild land fire,” said Santa Barbara District Ranger Bruce Emmens. “He understands the complex nature of firefighting in this area, and his leadership qualities will serve us well.” A native Californian, von Tillow began his career at the Tahoe National Forest in 1986. He accepted a position the following year at Los Padres and has held a number of positions working on engines, hotshot crews, and helicopter modules over the last 26 years. He was also a member of California Incident Management Team 3 for 11 years and currently serves as the Team’s Operations Section Chief. “It is an honor and a privilege to serve as Division Chief for the Santa Barbara District,” von Tillow said. “I look forward to working with our firefighters and building on the legacy established by the prior chiefs on this district.”