Learn
Friends of the Verde River (Friends) is pleased to announce that Nancy Steele has joined Friends as the new Executive Director. Nancy is an executive manager with over twenty-five years of environmental management and research experience, using the tools of science and policy to catalyze change towards a more sustainable future. “In 2007, Friends of Verde River Greenway began as a small group of dedicated volunteers leading river restoration efforts in Verde River Greenway State Natural Area, Cottonwood, Arizona. Those founders had no staff and no budget, just a passion to preserve and promote a healthy Verde River. During the last ten years, Friends has grown as an organization, developed new programs, and now works with partners throughout the Verde River basin, covering over 400 miles of river and stream habitat. As our new Executive Director, Nancy Steele provides the professional leadership that we need to sustain flows, restore habitat, and support community stewardship in this critically important watershed” says Chip Norton, President, Friends of the Verde River. Prior to joining Friends of the Verde River, Nancy was Executive Director of Council for Watershed Health in Los Angeles; she also worked in various California agencies, focusing on environmental and health impacts of pollution, including controlling diesel emissions from heavy-duty trucks and buses and reducing lead poisoning. Nancy earned her doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering from University of California, Los Angeles. She received her M.S. in zoology from Arizona State University and her A.B. in biology from Occidental College. Learn more about Nancy by visiting our website at https://verderiver.org/team/nancy-steele/. About Friends of the Verde River: Friends of the Verde River, (Friends), formerly known as Friends of Verde River Greenway, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that envisions a healthy, free-flowing Verde River and tributaries that support our unique environment, a vibrant economy, and quality of life for future generations.
