St. Ben’s Director of Security Darren Swanson retires after 21 years of service
Darren Swanson has been working for CSB Security for over two decades and is retiring to spend more time with his wife. Swanson was a part of the Title XI response team for St. Ben's. He will be replaced by Mandy Dudding after he officially retires later this year.
After 21 years of safeguarding St. Ben’s, Director of Security Darren Swanson is retiring. He leaves behind a career he describes as one where the job was never the same two days in a row.
His successor, Mandy Dudding, is set to start on Monday. Swanson said he was not part of the hiring process and has not yet met her, but he is confident she is more than capable of stepping into the role.
Over two decades, Swanson’s responsibilities stretched well beyond campus patrols. He served on the behavioral threat, student support and safety committees, as well as the campus action response team. He was also part of the Title XI team, which responds to reports on campus.
Some of his most memorable moments came during large scale events. He recalled working when ESPN brought its College GameDay experience to St. John’s for a football game against St. Thomas, and the memorial service for Jacob Wetterling. Between those high profile days, his office has handled weddings, presidential inaugurations and the many other big events the campuses host.
The work came at a cost. Darren said being on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all year, took its toll. Vacations were hard to come by, since he was often called away or unable to leave because of staffing.
Still, he said the job gave him a great deal. Both of his children attended the colleges, one a Bennie and one a Johnnie, and he said he enjoyed watching them grow up, graduate from college and move into their careers. His daughter played softball at St. Ben’s and was part of teams that advanced to national tournaments.
His reason for retiring is personal. Swanson married in September, and his wife lives out of state.
“I loved working in this capacity, but I also love my spouse,” Swanson said. “It helps me get to be with my wife.”
Swanson praised the student staff who work in the security office. “Our student staff does a lot of things that people don’t necessarily see,” Swanson said.
They work nights and weekends, in the cold and in the heat, and he said the department could not do its job without them.
Those students say the feeling is mutual. CSB junior Beth Matuszewski, who works in the security office, described Swanson as a boss who supported his student workers.
“Darren was the type of boss who went above and beyond for his students,” Matuszewski said. “He was always there for all of us when we needed it and helped provide for us when we would get together as a team for dinners. He would also surprise us with treats in the office during hard weeks. Darren will be greatly missed in the office, and we all wish him luck on his next journey in life.”
As he prepares to leave, Swanson said he has no need to sell students on CSB+SJU because they have already decided for themselves that this is a wonderful place to be. He said St. Ben’s and St. John’s have built a legacy that is more than just football, and he said he is proud to have been part of it.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time here,” Swanson said, “and [I am] happy that somebody else is going to get the opportunity to do it after me.”
