About Lisa Swarthout

Lisa Swarthout

District 3

First term began: January 2023

Lisa Swarthout was elected to her first term on the Grass Valley City Council in November of 2004.  She was re-elected in November of 2008, November 2012 and November 2016.  In her second term, Lisa served two years as mayor, and did so again in December of 2018.  Previous to her elected position she spent nine years on the Grass Valley Planning Commission. Some of Lisa’s duties on the City Council included: General Plan Steering Committee, City representative to the Economic Resource Council, member of the Local Area Formation Commission (10 years), liaison to the City Parks and Recreation Commission, liaison with the Grass Valley Downtown Association and a member of the City’s budget committee.

Lisa is also the past chair of the Grass Valley Downtown Association, and past chair of the Nevada County Economic Resource Council. She has served on the boards of many non-profit organizations in our community including The Friendship Club, Silver Springs Foundation and Soroptimist International of Grass Valley. Lisa currently sits on the board for the Center for the Arts and the Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital Foundation. She also finds time to volunteer at the Sammie’s Friends thrift store and for the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office.

Lisa received her BA in Communications from CSU Chico, with a minor in Political Science.  She recently retired after running a successful retail store in Downtown Grass Valley for 30 years. Lisa resides in Grass Valley with her husband Chris Therrien and their beloved cats and dog.