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Author: David Gressly. Originally published in the JournalAZ
After six months as Executive Director, I have learned how unique the Friends of the Verde River is among riparian oriented organizations. Very few organizations have been able to demonstrate the same level of substantive “boots on the ground” work joined together with a significant community outreach capability. I feel fortunate to have inherited the leadership of such an organization
It is therefore appropriate that my predecessor, Nancy Steele, be honored for her work over the last six years. Her work helped mold the organization into an effective force for the betterment of the Verde River and the watershed more broadly. I would like to share one such ceremonial honor that took place last week. The description of the ceremony that I am sharing below was written by Jeni O’Callaghan, current Vice President of the Friends of the Verde River, but who also served as President of the organizations for many years while Nancy was Executive Director. I know of no one that could better describe and honor Nancy’s work.
Unveiling ceremony of the park bench honoring Nancy Steele (l) by Jeni O’Callaghan (2nd from right) and Jeanne Swarthout, Friend’s current President (2nd from left)
“On June 8, 2024, at 10AM a ceremony was held to honor Nancy LC Steele former Executive Director of Friends of the Verde River. A gathering of friends, family and co-workers shared how Nancy led the change of Friends of the Verde River from a grassroots organization to the “go to” organization for all things Verde River. In recognition of her work, a commemorative bench has been installed in Rezzonico Park with the assistance of the Town of Camp Verde and was paid for with funds collected to honor Nancy. This installation grew from a desire to have a place near the Verde River for people to come, sit and watch the river go by. The inscribed plaque contains one of Nancy’s favorite quotes from Leonardo Da Vinci: Water is the driving force of all nature.
Friends of the Verde River (Friends) envisions a healthy, flowing Verde River and tributaries that support our natural environment, vibrant communities, and quality of life for future generations.
Achievements at Friends of the Verde River under Nancy’s leadership and guidance include the first State of the Verde Watershed Conference. Nancy also promoted Citizen Science in the Verde Valley, getting school children and adults out looking at nature and reporting it to platforms like Ebird or iNaturalist. Nancy’s understanding of water systems and ability to share that knowledge of the Verde River’s importance with audiences of all sizes led to one of her biggest accomplishments – getting people excited about the Verde River and its importance to, not only the Verde Valley, but greater Arizona.
More than anything else, though she is retired, Nancy expressed her desire for all people to support the Verde River, through volunteerism, sharing stories about the river and donations.
I would like to echo Jeni’s comments and congratulate Nancy for her service and achievements. I would also like to thank her for building a strong team that is not only technically competent but also dedicated to keeping the Verde River healthy and flowing. Nancy’s legacy is greater than any honors that could be bestowed. We wish her all the best and we know that we can count on her to continue to be a strong advocate for the future of the Verde River.
