Sally McGowan has lived in Plumas County since 1984 when she moved from Camarillo in Southern California to the little town of Clio in the beautiful Mohawk Valley. In 2000, she relocated to Quincy where she currently lives in lovely Thompson Valley.  Her love of nature, adventure and the Sierra Nevada inspired this dramatic change in lifestyle. Sally holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of CA Santa Barbara and a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from CA State University Chico. She was a middle and high school teacher in both Portola and Quincy for twenty-four years and retired after serving for 8 years as principal at Chester Elementary School. Both of her adult children were raised in Plumas County and retain their attachment to and love for the area. Sally finds joy in the fact that both Mary and James return to the same trails, lakes, streams and friendships they enjoyed while growing up.
 
Out of concern for the threat of wildfire on the health of the watersheds and the safety of the citizens and communities of Plumas County, Sally began attending the Plumas County Firesafe Council meetings in 2018 and with the support of many Council members, including Sue McCourt, formed the Old Highway Road Firewise Community. As a participating member of the Plumas Underburn Cooperative, she helped organize its first official underburn within the Old Highway Firewise Community boundaries. Sally is grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from the very talented, passionate, and committed members of the Fire Safe Council.