Swiftwater Leadership

Chris has been passionate about volunteering and helping others since he was a child. Starting out working with the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity, he has now honed his efforts and is focusing on the search and rescue field. With a background in wilderness survival, alpine climbing and extreme sports he hopes to parlay his skills in to making a sizable impact on the lives of others who have been affected by natural disasters. Chris is also an avid dog lover and his connection to his two dogs, Maverick and Ceasar, has heavily influenced the development of this organization.

Chris grew up in Maine and later completed his bachelor and master degrees at the University of Central Florida. He currently lives just outside Nashville, TN where he feels at home as a Talent Acquisition Manager at Mars Petcare.

Jon has spent most of his life in Florida, having also lived in Belgium and throughout the US as a child. Currently living only a few feet above sea level, he's seen firsthand the destruction flooding can bring to a community and the impact it can have on families and pets.

As an experienced boater and outdoor enthusiast, Jon lends his experience to providing aid and support for disaster victims.

Jon lives in St. Pete Beach, FL with his wife Kim and dog Lola. He owns a software & web development company focused on non-profit clients.

Jarred Sanders grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. After graduating from Pulaski High
School he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. Jarred was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment as an Anti-Tank Assaultman. After two deployments over four years of service he moved to Nashville, TN. Since relocating he has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and numerous food banks. With training that includes first aid, mass casualty, combat trauma and disaster relief, he feels he can make a difference here on the Swiftwater Search & Rescue team. When he is not volunteering his time Jarred works at Peoples Home Equity as a business analyst.

Darren was born in Poteau, Oklahoma. Growing up in a military family introduced him to cities, states and countries all over the world. Immediately following his high school graduation he enlisted in the United States Air Force where he specialized in search & recovery, mortuary and readiness. He served three deployments in Qatar, Afghanistan and Iraq before returning stateside and settling in New Orleans, LA. There he joined the New Orleans Police Department before moving on to become an Investigations Deputy with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Darren’s words on why he joined our team: ‘All we see these days are differences in one another. My goal is to prove that we can all care for and help each other, regardless of our opinions, beliefs or backgrounds.’

Maverick is an 8 year old American German Shepherd who has lived with his dad, Chris Calcagni, since he was 10 weeks old. He is tall, dark, handsome and exceptionally intelligent. Maverick has an atypically high prey drive and wants to wrestle or play fetch all day, every day. His nicknames include Da’ Buddies, Maver-Wavers and Mister Waggy Tails.

Ceasar is a 3 year old Western German Shepherd. He joined the Calcagni family when he was adopted at 6 months old. Ceasar is a giant softie and a total goofball who loves antagonizing his brother. He’s afraid of everything, including his shadow, but he is drop dead gorgeous so he is able to skate by on his looks. His nicknames include The Ceezy Bear, Sleezy-Weezy and The Ceez-meister.