Thursday, Jan. 5, marked Jacquelyn MacConnell’s last day as commander at the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office.
“She was here just short of a year,” CVMO Marshal Nancy Gardner said, but added that MacConnell made a significant impact on Camp Verde’s policing culture, building stronger bonds with the community and fostering an environment of collaboration between stakeholders.
According to Gardner, MacConnell had long planned to move onto property she owned in Spokane, Wash.
“It was her ultimate goal to move there,” Gardner said, adding that MacConnell also wanted to find a more permanent home before her 4-year-old child started school.
When an offer of employment in Spokane came through for MacConnell, Gardner understood that the move would be beneficial for her employee and encouraged the transition out of police work. According to Gardner, the new position might provide better retirement options.
“It was an offer she couldn’t refuse,” Gardner said. “Being a commander, that gave her a better opportunity …. We will surely miss her.”
Camp Verde Town Manager Russ Martin likewise praised MacConnell, saying that “we just utilized her skills for as long as we could, until she got an opportunity in the one place that could beat us.”
According to Martin, despite coming from a police force in Phoenix, MacConnell acclimated well to a rural setting, quickly establishing herself as an expert communicator, often through social media.
“The biggest thing I can think of that moved us ahead was putting together our Facebook presence,” Martin said. “She did a great job of updating it and keeping it fresh …. When you know you can get good, accurate information from a source, you go to it.”
