FAIRHOPE, Ala. — There has been a changing of the guard at the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program. Roberta Swann, the longtime deputy director of the agency under Capt. David Yeager, has been named as his permanent replacement.

Swann came to work for MBNEP in August 2004. She served as interim director for much of the time since Yeager retired in June 2008.

The Melrose, Mass. native has a bachelor of science degree in economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a master’s degree in business administration from Boston University.

“I bring organizational and program development (skills), as well as a fundraising background,” Swann said. “I can identify what resources are needed to complete a project.”

Although Swann’s background is primarily in community development, she is not unfamiliar with environmental concerns. As a consultant, she was a driving force in the development of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation, and was instrumental in an acquisition campaign for the Dauphin Island Bird Sanctuaries.

She said, “After five years in the program, I’ve learned more science than I ever thought I would have. I have an understanding of what the needs of the estuary are.”

Because of that, Swann said, she knows when to bring in additional scientists to tackle an issue.

She added, “The desires of the executive committee are being addressed through a different avenue now.” The program has a full-time chief scientist on board.

Swann steps into the position vacated by Dr. Toby Bolton, an Adelaide, Australia native who had been hired as director earlier this year. He moved on, however, after a relatively brief time on the job.

Swann didn’t apply for the post at the time of Yeager’s departure because she was devoting more time to her family.

She is married to Dr. LaDon Swann, director of the Mississippi Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. They met while both were serving in the Peace Corps. She helped establish agricultural cooperatives in Togo, West Africa.

The couple moved to this area when he accepted a job at an Auburn University station on the coast. They currently reside on Mon Luis Island near Fowl River in Mobile County.

Asked what course she is plotting at the helm of MBNEP, Swann said, “We hope to expand citizen involvement through monitoring programs and restoration activities. We also hope to increase the access to GIS tools to planners so they can plan around our environment.”

She said the organization is also planning to continue working closely with the Baldwin County Watershed Coalition regarding storm water management issues.

Of particular importance right now, she noted, are the sedimentation problems impacting the D’Olive and Tiawasee waterways on the upper Eastern Shore. MBNEP, in conjunction with the coalition, hopes to identify the sources of the runoff.

Swann said the MBNEP science advisory committee is also exploring ways to improve overall estuary health.

“There’s a lack of best management practices in development up the watershed,” she added.

Other changes have been made in the MBNEP administration.

Brenda Lowther was hired as the program administrator in May. Lowther came to the agency from ATC and Associates, an environmental consulting firm, where she was the office administrator.

Lowther has a background with volunteer community efforts, including stints as volunteer services coordinator and the Re-Store business manager at Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County. She is a Fairhope resident.

Sara Shields, has completed a one-year term at MBNEP as an Americorps/VISTA volunteer, and has been added to the staff as communications manager. A graduate of Daphne High School and Salem College in Winston Salem, N.C., Shields lives in Mobile where she is currently attending the University of South Alabama in preparation for medical school.

Replacing Shields as an Americorps/VISTA volunteer is Megrez Mosher of Fairhope, who graduated from Pacific University in Portland, Ore. Her plans include pursuit of a doctorate degree in political science.