Dana Tibbits

Biography

Dana Tibbitts is an author, investigative journalist, and policy advocate focused on the human and environmental risks associated with public complacency and policy failure.

Her early career included legislative and public affairs work at University of California, Los Angeles and in Washington, D.C., where she developed a grounding in governance and institutional systems. At UCLA, she served in a senior media relations role during the Olympic Games, helping lead press operations and media center coordination in a high- demand, international environment.

Tibbitts is the author of Harnessing the Sky, the acclaimed story of the godfather of modern naval aviation, which reflects her work translating complex ideas into clear, actionable insight. This through-line continues in her License to Burn series, which confronts false narratives and dangerous policies behind the destruction of vast tracts of western forest.

As co-founder of the Tahoe East Shore Alliance, Tibbitts has worked to bring greater transparency, accountability, and restraint to land use and wildfire policy in the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond. Her efforts emphasize the relationship between development decisions, evacuation capacity, and public safety in a region increasingly defined by wildfire risk, development pressures, and tourism overload.

Tibbitts also serves as a board member at large of the National Wildfire Alliance, contributing to broader efforts to strengthen research, transparency, and public understanding in wildfire policy and land management.

A resident of Lake Tahoe, Tibbitts writes and works from a deep commitment to the American West—its landscapes, communities, and the stewardship required to sustain both.