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Mikayla Baker

Pano AI

Member profile details

PERSONAL INFO

Class

Class 33

First Name

Mikayla

Last Name

Baker

COMPANY INFO

Company Name

Pano AI

Title

State Government Affairs Managers

MAILING ADDRESS

City

Chino Valley

State

Arizona

County

Yavapai County

OTHER INFO

Photo

Recognition

CENTRL Alumni Committee

Bio

Mikayla Baker is the State Government Affairs Manager at Pano AI, where she leads engagement with state and local governments to advance the adoption of cutting-edge wildfire detection technology. In this role, she builds strategic partnerships with emergency management agencies, legislators, and fire service leaders to strengthen wildfire preparedness and community resilience across the United States.

Before joining Pano AI, Mikayla served as the Environmental Program Manager for Surface Water Sampling and Source Identification at the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). There, she revitalized the state’s Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program and managed multiple water quality initiatives, including fish consumption advisories, harmful algal bloom monitoring, and oversight of the Arizona State Water Quality Labs. Her leadership earned recognition from Governor Katie Hobbs for her team’s outstanding community engagement on the Queen Creek TMDL.

Mikayla’s career in public service began long before her time at ADEQ. Growing up as a second-generation rancher in Dewey, Arizona, she spent over two decades on her family’s cattle and goat ranch, collaborating with fire agencies to create defensible space in the wildland–urban interface using goats. This experience sparked her passion for fire management, leading her to become a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service after high school.

She later transitioned to fire science education at Yavapai College, where she developed and directed the Fire Science degree program, launched a high school JTED pathway, and helped establish one of Arizona’s leading Fire Academies in partnership with local departments. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also served as the Logistics Chief for Yavapai County’s Emergency Operations Center, coordinating critical medical supplies and public safety efforts.

Mikayla holds an Associate of Applied Science in Fire Science from Yavapai College and a Bachelor of Science in Public Service and Public Policy with an emphasis in Leadership Management and a minor in Urban Planning and Development from Arizona State University. She is also a certified wildland and structural firefighter, EMT, fire instructor, and Certified Public Manager (CPM).

Recognized by Governor Hobbs for her TMDL team’s community engagement efforts on the Queen Creek TMDL, Mikayla continues to lead and innovate in environmental quality and public service, striving for a citizen centered approach to government processes and implementation.

CAC Position

CAC Member

4341 E Broadway Road
Phoenix, Arizona 85040
602-827-8227

Arizona Center for Rural Leadership is a Public Private Partnership with The University of Arizona.

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