Zack Stawicki

Director of the Southern Illinois Prescribed Burn Association (SIPBA)

Zack graduated from Southern Illinois University (SIU) with a B.S. in Forestry, with a focus in wildlife habitat management and conservation. He first experienced fire with the SIU Fire Dawgs, where he quickly became enamored with wildland fire. After graduating in 2022, he took over leadership of SIPBA and has furthered the organization’s success through landowner training and private-lands burning across the southern eleven counties.

Through SIPBA, Zack works closely with the Shawnee National Forest on a cross-boundary program which focuses on burning lands adjacent to public land in larger units. He has also started the Spark IL PBA program, which supports the creation and mentorship of new prescribed burn associations across the state.

When he's not setting the woods on fire, he likes to spend time outdoors with his girlfriend and his dog, as well as working on his fish tanks and fixing his Willys jeep.