Nuvision Heroes: Marine Safety Captain Leslie Schwene Inspires the Next Generation of First Responders

Leslie Schwene was nine years old when her mother signed her up for the Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard program. Today, she's the one running it.

Leslie is Huntington Beach's Marine Safety Officer of the Year, and on October 6 she was one of three local first responders honored with a Nuvision Heroes Award at Nuvision Credit Union's annual First Responders Appreciation Luncheon. The event was held in recognition of National First Responders Day on October 28.

We started Nuvision Heroes to recognize the people who step in when someone in our community is having one of the hardest days of their life. That might mean answering a medical call, pulling a swimmer out of dangerous surf or helping a family get through a crisis. Leslie's story is a good example of what that kind of service looks like over the course of a career.

From Junior Lifeguard to Marine Safety Captain

Leslie grew up in Huntington Beach and has spent nearly every summer of her life on its beaches. Junior Lifeguards was where it started, and by age 11 she already knew she wanted to be a lifeguard. Her instructors made a big impression on her, and she held onto that goal until she earned her spot as a lifeguard at 17.

From there, she set her sights on working full-time in marine safety, a goal she reached in 2021. A year later, in 2022, she became the first woman to serve as a Marine Safety Captain in Huntington Beach.

"I loved helping people and using my swimming skills and abilities to help those in need," Leslie said. "I love getting to help people on what is sometimes their worst day, and hope that I can be a bright spot to them."

Today, she oversees the same Junior Lifeguard program that got her started. She teaches kids how to stay safe at the beach and in the ocean, and she helps them build the kind of skills and confidence that tend to stick with people long after summer ends. For Leslie, coming full circle has been one of the best parts of the job.

"Having started in this program at 9 years old and now being the one in charge of it has been majorly rewarding for me because now I get to help educate kids and teach them beach and ocean safety, and some of them will even become lifeguards one day."

Showing Girls What's Possible

Over the years, Leslie has made a point of showing young girls that a career in public safety is open to them, too.

One moment in particular has stayed with her. She was on patrol near Lifeguard Tower 15 when a woman flagged her down. It wasn't an emergency. The woman simply wanted to tell Leslie how excited she was to see a female lifeguard driving a patrol truck. She had two daughters with her, and every lifeguard they had seen on the beach that day had been a man.

For Leslie, it was a reminder that being visible matters. Some of the girls who see her on the sand or behind the wheel of a patrol truck may decide one day that they want to do the same job.

She brings that same sense of responsibility to drowning prevention. Rescues are part of the work, but Leslie also takes the time to talk with beachgoers about ocean hazards and how to avoid getting into trouble in the first place. Her goal is to reduce preventable drownings and make Huntington Beach safer for the people who live there and the visitors who come to enjoy it.

Serving the City She Calls Home

Leslie has lived in Huntington Beach her whole life, and protecting it is personal for her.

"I don't know that I can fully put into words what serving Huntington Beach means to me," she said. "Getting to serve the community that I live in and love so much is amazing."

She received her Nuvision Heroes Award at the First Responders Appreciation Luncheon, held at the Huntington Beach Police Department, where Nuvision provided lunch and refreshments for more than 270 local first responders. When we asked what the recognition meant to her, she was quick to share the credit.

"I am honored to be recognized as Marine Safety Officer of the Year," she said. "I appreciate the Command staff for recognizing me for the work I do and appreciate all of the organizations who also recognize the Marine Safety Officer of the Year here in our community."

Thank You, Captain Schwene

Leslie's path from a nine-year-old Junior Lifeguard to Marine Safety Captain shows how much one person can give back to the place that shaped them. She protects the people on Huntington Beach's shoreline, and she's also teaching the kids who may one day take her place.

We're proud to recognize her through Nuvision Heroes. As National First Responders Day approaches, we also want to thank every first responder in the communities we serve for the work they do to keep the rest of us safe.

Congratulations, Captain Schwene, on being named Huntington Beach's Marine Safety Officer of the Year. Thank you for your service, leadership, and commitment to the Huntington Beach community.