Friends of the Verde River recently welcomed Jeanne Swarthout as the organization’s new president of the board of directors. Swarthout will take over the position from previous president Jeni O’Callaghan. Both women reside in Camp Verde and share a passion for the Verde River.
“I’m a lifelong Arizonan who grew up around water, who recreated in water and knew the importance of having this ribbon of green in our state,” O’Callaghan said.
O’Callaghan has served as the president of the organization’s volunteer-run board since June 2020. When she started in the position, many people were utilizing the outdoors more frequently due to the COVID-19 pandemic response measures, and more use resulted in more litter being left behind. One of her early duties as board president was to help keep the river clean.
O’Callaghan likened the organization’s board president and executive director to a twin-engined plane, with both of them being necessary to the running of the organization. She said she would consult with Nancy Steele, the executive director of Friends, to help run the organization and be an ambassador for the river.
“Our main goals are informing the public, keeping the habitat great and keeping the flow going,” O’Callaghan said. “You can’t have one without the other. It’s all interrelated.”
Swarthout was briefly the group’s treasurer before becoming board president.
“I’ve always been service oriented,” Swarthout said. She has a background in field archaeology and was formerly the president of Northland Pioneer College, as well as serving as board chairwoman for various nonprofits in Navajo County.
“I am an old river runner,” Swarthout added. “I am passionate about water and about the resources. As it begins to dry out increasingly, the importance of this river becomes vital for the area.”
Swarthout commented that every organization is different and people join the boards of their favorite organizations with differing niche passions, and noted that she will aim to keep those passions alive while uniting them for greater effect.
Her immediate goals include aiding the search for a new executive director when Steele retires later this year and developing a three-year strategic plan. Fundraising is a longer term objective.
Swarthout is a diligent hiker and still a river enthusiast, although she said she doesn’t run the river as much as she used to. She has a background in running the Colorado and San Juan rivers.
“My advice is to continue to be an ambassador,” O’Callaghan said to Swarthout. “Look for help wherever you can. If somebody’s volunteering, grab them, don’t let them get away.”
“I would like to thank Jeni for backing me up here,” Swarthout said. “I’ve been on the board a little more than a year. I ran into walls. I kept bumping against things, like, ‘Oh, that’s not how we do things.’ I’ve been chair boards but they’re all different. Jeni has been really helpful in helping me navigate the walls I like to walk into.”
“I thank her for taking on [the role of] board president,” O’Callaghan said. “We had been thinking about this transition for more than two years. She ended up being the most appropriate person with her background and her love of the land. It’s going to be a great future for Friends of the Verde River.”
