Gayl Van Natter became SaddleBrooke Community Outreach’s executive vice president in April 2024. However, this is not her first time serving on the SaddleBrooke Community Outreach (SBCO) board of directors. In fact, her service with SBCO began shortly after she moved to SaddleBrooke from Seattle in 2012.
Gayl originally built her house in SaddleBrooke in 2000, but she was still busy working and rented the property until she was ready to relocate. In the first part of her career, Gayl, who considers Colorado her real “home state,” worked in title and escrow for Transamerica Financial Corporation. Prior to retiring, she had climbed the corporate ladder to Vice-President in that organization. Then, not one to really “retire,” she began working for a builder part-time. But after four years, she had become Vice-President of sales and marketing, involved in conducting market research, determining what community amenities customers wanted and working with architects to plan projects.
Eventually, Gayl retired for the second time and in July 2012 she and her husband, Tony, relocated to SaddleBrooke. She mentioned to the person who had managed her house while it was rented that she was “looking for something to do.” The property manager told her about two nonprofits who need volunteers: SBCO and the Golden Goose Thrift Shop. Gayl contacted both organizations about administrative volunteer work and quickly became the recording secretary for SBCO and also a board member for the Golden Goose. For a year, she served on both boards, but eventually it was deemed best that she be on only one board to avoid any appearance of conflict of interest. She stayed on the Golden Goose board, eventually serving in various roles, including president.
Perhaps Gayl’s most challenging—and rewarding—experience as a volunteer was serving as the Golden Goose board president during the COVID-19 pandemic. Keeping the shop afloat and ensuring that SBCO and Impact of Southern Arizona could receive their much-needed financial support was difficult. But the board, shop staff and volunteers succeeded in finding their way through that very difficult time and all three organizations continue to thrive.
Gayl’s involvement with SBCO also has included serving as a volunteer for the Walk for Kids, Food Drive, Adopt-a-Family, Home Tour and Teen Closet. In addition, Gayl has volunteered with Oro Valley Hospital. In all of her volunteer work, she enjoys “making people happy, being of value, solving problems and being of benefit to others.” She states, “I can’t play many sports now, but volunteering has kept me active, healthier and more engaged with other people’s lives.”
To those considering becoming an SBCO volunteer, Gayl would say, “There is absolutely no downside. You will feel fulfilled, engaged, and more involved in your community.”
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