Our Team
Randy Skelton
President
After 8 years as Assistant Fire Director of Operations for the US Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region in California, Randy retired with 33 years of service across 5 Geographic Regions and 6 National Forests. He spent 10 years on Interagency Hotshot Crews, culminating as Superintendent of the Boise Hotshots, before advancing to leadership roles including Battalion Chief, Zone Division Chief, Chief 2, and Chief 1.
During his time with the US Forest Service, Randy served over 10 years on the NWCG Fire Leadership Subcommittee, where he helped develop and implement staff rides and leadership curriculum. He represented the USFS in the 2002 Wildland Fire and Marine Corps exchange program and served as the Intermountain Region’s representative on the USFS National Fire Diversity Committee for two years. Skelton has been a member of the US Hotshots Association since 2017 and is the current standing President since 2022.
Jimmie Rocha
Vice President
Jimmie retired after 36 years in the fire service. His career started on the Sequoia National Forest and retired as Wildland Operations Superintendent with the Kern County Fire Department. During that time, Jimmie served 20 years as a hotshot on the Rio Bravo Hotshot Crew; 5 years as a Foreman, and 15 years as the Superintendent of the crew
Currently he serves as the Vice President of the U.S Hotshot Association.
He joined the Board of Directors of the U.S. Hotshot Association as a way of honoring his friend Stan Stewart, our past president, and helping fulfill his wishes of paying it forward to the hotshot community and wildland community as a whole.
Dan Kleinman
Treasurer
Dan dedicated his entire career to Wildland Fire and All-Hazard Incident management. He spent 12 years with the Fulton Hotshots, including 7 years as their Superintendent. Throughout his career, Dan responded to a wide range of emergencies, from small brush fires to major wildfires, and participated in all-hazard responses such as the 9/11 rescue efforts and Hurricane Sandy relief.
His work with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) took him across the United States and even to Australia, providing him with diverse and rewarding experiences until his retirement in 2015. Since 2019, Dan has served on the board of the United States Hotshots Association (USHA), currently holding the position of Treasurer.
Dan's motivation for involvement with USHA stems from his desire to support both current and former Hotshots in any way possible. He and his wife now reside in Glennville, CA, coincidentally the home base of the Fulton Hotshots where he once served. They are the proud parents of three adult children - two daughters and a son.
Lynn Correa
Secretary
Lynn Correa serves as the Secretary for the U.S. Hotshots Association, where she supports the organization’s mission to preserve the past and pay it forward. She has been a member of the U.S. Hotshots Association since 2021 and before that had volunteered in fundraisers years prior. Lynn has worked for Rio Bravo Hotshots and Breckenridge Hotshots. Currently, her day job is Helitack Captain with the U.S. Forest Service and her leadership and expertise play a crucial role in advancing the nonprofit’s goals and initiatives. Lynn brings a wealth of experience and dedication to the role with 23 seasons of fire. Outside of work, Lynn enjoys spending quality time with her husband and two dogs, embracing the joys of family life and the great outdoors.
Bethany Hannah
Bethany is the founder of the American Wildfire Experience and The Smokey Generation, and is the former Deputy Director, Operations at the Climate and Wildfire Institute. She is also an active MYSTERY RANCH ambassador for their Mission program. Bethany brings with her extensive nonprofit leadership and experience, a passion for communication and engagement, and an enduring commitment to caring for the wildland fire community. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, a Master’s in Environmental Studies with a concentration in wildland fire management and communications, and spent a stint as a PhD researcher with PyroLife, a European research consortium looking at how to best engage vulnerable communities at risk to wildfire. She spent six seasons as a hotshot with the US Forest Service (Zigzag IHC) and Bureau of Land Management (Craig IHC) early in her career and has been a board member with USHA since 2022.
Sara Sweeney
This is Sara’s third year serving with the US Hotshots Association Board of Directors, and she is excited to continue the ongoing effort to advocate for the IHC community in various ways.
During her 25-year fire career, Sara has worked in five different regions on six different hotshot crews, for both the Forest Service and the BLM, most recently as the Superintendent of the Mormon Lake Hotshots. In addition to being a longtime EMT and county SAR member, she brings previous program innovation and board experience, and a drive for effecting impactful change for the boots on the ground.
She is currently an Exclusive Use Air Attack based out of Flagstaff, AZ, where she continues to be passionate about learning, fitness, and passing on the fundamentals of fire and leadership to the next generation. In her “spare” time, she can be found skiing, biking, playing roller derby, and training for and competing in ultramarathons, as well as seeking out travel adventures with her husband, cooking healthy food, and trying to coax vegetables from the recalcitrant northern Arizona soil.
Brant Machado
Brant began his fire career with the U.S Forest Service 16 years ago. He has dedicated the entirety of his career to hotshot crews, starting off as a crew member for the Fulton hotshots and later advancing to a squad leader and saw boss position with the Breckenridge hotshots. Currently, Brant serves as a foreman on the Inyo Hotshots while also fulfilling the role of forest saw coordinator. He remains committed to sharing his expertise in chainsaws, felling, leadership, fitness, and all aspects of firefighting to the upcoming generation. He joined the USHA BOD in 2024 to assist in this cause.
Ira Peshkin
Ira Peshkin retired after 33 years in the fire service. My time included 8 years with the USFS on the ANF and 24 years with a local government fire department. I served in many roles throughout my career including hotshot crewman, engines, helitack, Incident Management Teams, and many positions on the all hazard side. I hope to take this opportunity as being part of the U.S. Hotshot Association to pay it forward to all the past, present, and future wildland fighters.
Kyle Clendenen
Kyle has been a Hotshot nearly his entire 21-year fire career. He started with CCC’s in 2002. Then in 2003 he came to the Bureau of Land Management on the Kern Valley Hotshots. He when through the apprenticeship and did time on a helicopter and engine before going back to the crew. He worked his way up through the ranks crewmember, senior, lead, Squad Boss, Captain, and now serves as the Superintendent of Kern Valley Hotshots. Outside of fire, Kyle enjoys spending time with the family, and doing wood projects when he can. A Lifetime Member of the U.S. Hotshots Association, Kyle joined the Board of Directors in 2022.
Corey Correa
Corey has been a Hotshot nearly his entire 21-year fire career. He started with the Bureau of Land Management on the Kern Valley Hotshots in 2004 before joining the Forest Service with Breckenridge in 2006, the year they earned IHC status. He went to Horseshoe Meadow Hotshots and started his permanent career before returning to Breckenridge Hotshots as a senior firefighter. He worked his way up through the ranks as a Squad Boss, Captain, and now serves as the Superintendent of Breckenridge.
Outside of chasing fire, Corey enjoys spending time with his wife Lynn, also a career Forest Service firefighter, on the river and trails of the Sequoia NF fishing, hiking, riding mountain bikes, and running their 2 dogs.
A Lifetime Member of the U.S. Hotshots Association, Corey joined the Board of Directors in 2022 to help continue the ethos of “Preserving the Past, Paying It Forward.”