Roberta Swann, Director
Roberta was appointed Director of the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP) in August 2009, after serving as deputy to former Director Captain David Yeager.
Prior to joining the MBNEP she was a consultant for Strategic Resource Solutions on Dauphin Island, AL, for two years, where her accomplishments included creation of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation and oversight of a successful acquisition campaign for Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries. Before moving to Alabama, Ms. Swann served as Assistant Director of the Community Redevelopment Department for the City of Lafayette (IN), where she oversaw community development efforts including revitalization strategy development, neighborhood park improvements, special events coordination, liaison service between social and development agencies and the City, and production of planning, grant, budget, and report documents for CDBG, HOME, and other Federal programs totaling over $2 million annually. She was awarded HUD Best Practice Distinction for Lincoln Center Homeless Services Project.
Other experience included stints as Budget Manager, Grants Director, and Project Manager for Community Development efforts in the Cities of Boston, Gloucester, and Orange, MA from 1989 through 1993. Prior to beginning her professional career, Ms. Swann served for two years as a Cooperatives Volunteer for the Peace Corps, in Togo, West Africa, where she monitored financial and agricultural activities of seven village farming cooperatives, provided training on business development, and obtained $10,000 from USAID/Canadian Embassy to build a community grain mill and establish a maternity clinic. A native of Melrose, MA, Ms. Swann received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Masters in Business Administration in Public/Non-profit Management from Boston University.
She lives with her husband, Dr. LaDon Swann, and two teenage sons, Will and Gage. They live in a quiet log cabin on several acres that include pristine wetlands along the western shore of Mobile Bay.