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1-2-3 Governance

Governance

Board of Directors
The governance structure of Girl Scouts of Connecticut is designed to ensure that members of have a voice in the decision-influencing process of the Council. To this end, the Bylaws of GSOFCT permit the inclusion of four girl members as non-voting members of the Board of Directors. If you are interested in joining the collected voice of the Board of Directors, please review the position description and complete the age-appropriate form below.

Adult Members
Please fill out the Board Member Nomination Form and return it to Samantha Peterson.

Girl Members
We are no longer accepting applications for the 2019-20 board year! Thank you to everyone who has applied!  

Girls (over the age of 16) are welcome to apply as a candidate for the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of Connecticut. Why be a Girl Board Member? Hear from our girl board members themselves! 

 

All candidates will be interviewed by the Board Development Committee. Selected candidates will be formally voted in during the Annual Meeting each April. For more information, please contact Samantha Peterson.

Council Delegates
Each year, service units elect delegates to represent them at the council level. Delegates are integral members of their service unit. Delegates are responsible for attending council meetings, voicing concerns or questions from their service unit, and bringing back information to their service unit. They also vote on new members of the Board of Directors! Did you know that Girl Scouts ages 14 and up and adults can be Council Delegates? What a great way to be a leader in your community! Elections are closed for 2019.

  • book1_32

    GSUSA Blue Book
    of Basic Documents

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    GSOFCT Bylaws
    (amended April 24, 2016)

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    Council Proposal Process and Form

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    Strategic Learning

GSOFCT Board of Directors

Officers

Sheryl Sleeva - President
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Sheryl Sleeva is an accomplished executive leader, intrapreneur, business strategist and consultant. As an avid product developer and technology pioneer, she has been at the center of innovation and new venture development throughout her career. Currently Sheryl is Strategy Consultant for Digital Network Services, a Connecticut based technology services firm, specializing in industrial automation, smart building technologies and the “internet of things”. Learning technologies and workforce development are also key areas of professional focus for Sheryl and as such, her latest independent venture is that of co-founder and chief developer of Reskillit, an adult e-learning portal. In her previous role, Sheryl was Senior Vice President and Group Head of Loyalty Solutions at MasterCard Worldwide where she successfully led the global expansion of the cardholder services business, achieving sustained double-digit revenue growth.

During her 20-year tenure at MasterCard, Sheryl launched several profitable businesses and held executive leadership roles in core products, emerging payment technologies, cardholder services and loyalty solutions. She is also the co-inventor of two US patents. Thought leadership, change management and leadership education have been central to Sheryl’s professional repertoire. During her tenure at Cap Gemini, she was instrumental in helping major multinational corporations achieve impactful results in M&A, technology integration, corporate strategy and business transformation. She has also been an instructor in the area of transformational leadership as a member of the adjunct faculty at Bethel University’s MBA program.

Championing the advancement of the next generation of leaders is a particular passion for Sheryl. She is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Girls Scouts of Connecticut where she currently serves as First Vice President and also holds key leadership roles on the Executive Committee, STEM Advisory Council and Camp CEO Advisory Team. Sheryl is also a Board Advisor for Twomentor LLC, a high impact consultancy focused on helping organizations create talent strategies for a diverse workforce and build mentoring cultures that elevate women in STEM careers. She is also an active member of Women’s Forum of New York as well as the International Women’s Forum of Connecticut where she spearheads community outreach and mentoring efforts as Vice President of Strategic Initiatives. Sheryl earned her MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania in Marketing and Strategic Management and her BA in Computer Science from New York University. She has completed executive program certifications in product development and product management from Harvard University, UC Berkeley and General Assembly. Sheryl is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at Columbia Teachers College in the area of Adult Learning and Leadership.

Nicole Sandford - 1st Vice President

Nicole Sandford is a partner and the national practice leader for Deloitte & Touche LLP's Regulatory and Operations practice. Her practice is focused on providing advisory services to boards and executive teams as they seek to improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of programs that identify and address ethics and compliance risks across the organization. Nicole’s clients are large, global companies in a variety of industries, with particular focus on the consumer and industrial products and financial services industries. Nicole is a member of the advisory board of the John L. Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance at the University of Delaware’s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. She has served as the lead audit partner for public companies in the manufacturing and technology industries.

Liz McGovern - 2nd Vice President
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Liz McGovern is a seasoned insurance professional, having served the last 20 years with the voluntary benefits provider, Aflac. She has a diversified background in investments and insurance, education & teaching, coaching and sales. She is a member of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council, having co-chaired the Women’s Leadership Council and served on the Board of Directors.  Additionally, she is a graduate and former board member of Leadership Greater Bridgeport.  She has served as a member of other boards and advisory groups, with an emphasis on helping women and children. Her coaching and mentoring experience extends to years as an assistant coach and referee for women’s college basketball. Liz participated in Girl Scouts all the way through her senior year in high school. She credits her parents and Girl Scouts as the greatest influences in her life, both for the values they taught her and the friendships it fostered. Her love of the outdoors can be traced back to her early years camping with the Girl Scouts—she says every night is a good night for a campfire! Liz earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Fordham University, with a Masters, ex-thesis, from Penn State University in Athletic Administration.

Virginia Giuffré - 3rd Vice President
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Virginia M. Giuffré recently retired as a Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor, Senior Consultant at Merrill Lynch. Virginia began her financial career in 1971 with Citibank where she managed an international division where she traveled throughout the global markets working directly with executives in over thirty countries. After a twenty-two year career, Virginia joined Merrill Lynch in 1996 where she was awarded the Chartered Retirement Planning CounselorSM (CRPC®). Until 2016, she served as Resident Director of the Westport office where she resides today as a partner in The Giuffré James Group. Virginia also served on the board of Housatonic Community College Foundation for thirteen years and served as its President and is President Emeritus of the Connecticut Women’s Forum. Virginia lives in Fairfield, CT with her husband and best friend, Joel.

Susan Brosseau - Treasurer
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Susan Brosseau has served on the Board of Directors since 2013. She currently serves as the Director of Finance at Adelbrook Community Services, Inc.  She has over 30 years experience in financial statement audit and accounting services provided to both not-for-profit and for-profit entities.  She has also served on the Boards of Directors of numerous not-for-profit entities.  Susan obtained her BS in Accounting from the University of Connecticut and is a member of CTCPA.  

Diana Mahoney - Secretary

Diana Mahoney is an accomplished engineering professional with over 28 years of experience in numerous aspects of electrical engineering, design, and organizational leadership within the utility industry. Currently, Diana is Director of Planning, Scheduling, and Contract Services at Eversource and is responsible for developing an integrated work plan across three states, measuring performance in the execution of the work plan, and developing data analytics tools to drive process improvement. Other roles Diana has held at Eversource include Director of Transmission Engineering, Director of Operations Support, Director of Division Operations, and Manager of Asset Strategy. Diana holds a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Diana also serves as a member of the UConn Electrical & Computer Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. She has been a Girl Scout, a Girl Scout Leader, Registrar, and Service Unit Manager in the town of Berlin, CT.

Mary Barneby - Chief Executive Officer
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Mary Barneby has served as the Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of Connecticut since October 2012.  In this capacity, she oversees the delivery of programs and services to nearly 30,000 girl and 16,000 adult members throughout the state of Connecticut.

Mary has demonstrated leadership and a strong commitment to the advancement of others through her successful career in the financial services industry where she has held senior roles for more than 30 years. She has also been an active and enthusiastic volunteer leader in a number of community-based and national not-for-profit organizations throughout her business career, with an emphasis on the advancement of girls and women. She was a Girl Scout in Brooklyn, NY and attributes the challenge of earning badges to her drive for achievement of tangible results in her personal and professional lives as an adult.

Mary is a graduate of New York University and holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Fordham University. She completed post graduate coursework in finance at the Wharton School. She has served as both a Director and the President of the Financial Women’s Association of New York, a professional organization with more than 1200 members. From 1992-1996, she was Chair of the Board of the American Heart Association’s New York City Affiliate and served as National Chair of the AHA’s Investment Subcommittee during that time. In 2008, she was a recipient of the Women's Venture Fund's "Highest Leaf Award" for her efforts as a mentor and role model to other women. She was also recognized by the YWCA of New York in their 37th Annual Women Achiever's Awards and acknowledged by the National Organization of Italian American Women as a “Wise Woman” in 2014.

In addition to her role at Girl Scouts of Connecticut, Mary serves as a Trustee of the First Investor Mutual Funds, a $13 billion mutual fund family and she is also a Governor Emeritus for the University of New Haven, where she currently serves as a member of the Advisory Boards for the School of Arts and Sciences and the College of Hotel and Hospitality Management.



Members at Large

Richard Abrams

Richard Abrams has been involved in the financial industry for nearly 35 years, the last 25 as a financial advisor and managing director at PaineWebber/UBS. For 20 years, he has also managed high net worth, ultra-high net worth, and small institution pensions and foundations with The Abrams Group. He has appeared on top Financial Advisor lists in Barrons, Forbes, Worth, and Registered Rep. He serves on the UBS Financial Advisor board, and will be joining the Entrepreneurial board for Tufts, his alma mater. His youngest of three children has been involved with Girl Scouts from kindergarten through high school, and Rich has played an active volunteer role as a chaperone and treasurer. He lives in Wesport, CT.

 

Sarah Broderick

Sarah Broderick is the former Chief Operating Officer and CFO of VICE Media, where she also served on the Board of Directors for the last 3 years. Prior to VICE, Sarah served in a number of executive finance leadership roles including Chief Accounting Officer at William Morris Endeavor and IMG (now known as Endeavor), Deputy Controller of General Electric, and Senior Vice President at NBC Universal. She spent her early career at Deloitte & Touche in the audit practice and M&A and spent two years with Deloitte's firm in Milan, Italy. Sarah is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, where she holds a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Master’s degree from the UCONN School of Business.

Jessica Brown

Jessica Brown is currently a junior at New Fairfield High School and has been a Girl Scout for 12 years, earning both her Bronze and Silver awards. Jessica’s extracurricular activities include sining in an a cappella group, playing in band for her church, being a student leader for her youth group, and the being in the Honors Music Society at school. 

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz
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Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, was sworn in on January 9, 2019 as Connecticut’s 109th Lieutenant Governor. Previously as Secretary of the State, she helped thousands of businesses grow, registered thousands of voters, cut bureaucratic red tape, honored veterans, and fought to keep elections fair. Lt. Governor Bysiewics’ first political office was serving as a state representative in the Connecticut General Assembly, representing the towns of Middletown, Middlefield, and Durham for three successive terms starting in 1992 until 1998. Lt. Gov. Bysiewicz graduated from Middletown High School, Yale University and Duke Law School. She is the author of Ella: A Biography of Ella Grasso, Connecticut’s 83rd governor.

Michele Etzel
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Michele Etzel is a Board Member at Girl Scouts of Connecticut, CFO and Executive Vice President of National Graphics, Inc., a privately held commercial printer in the nation servicing Fortune 500 companies, and CEO of National Enterprise Solutions LLC, a woman owned business in this arena. Skilled in the areas of finance, accounting, business development, operations, mergers/acquisitions, procurement and manufacturing streamlining and cost containment, she has lead companies to consistently turn a profit for more than twenty consecutive years. She is also an advisor and consultant to many high growth businesses, entrepreneurs, and nonprofits in operations and turnarounds. Known for her real world financial, organizational, and strategic experience, she has been a guest lecturer at events where she shares her observations and expertise. Michele received her Bachelors of Science in Accountancy from Villanova University and later went on to earn a degree in Executive Management at Cornell University. Michele is on the Villanova University Business School Dean’s Advisory Council and is active with the Yale Entrepreneurial Institute as an advisor and investor. Along with Yale and Villanova, she served on the Executive Committee of the International Women's Forum-Connecticut as a former Commissioner on the E911 Commission for the State of Connecticut and a member of the Villanova Women's Professional Network and Alumni Recruiting.

Juliana Fabrizi

Juliana Fabrizi is a junior at Westbrook High School and has been a Girl Scout for nine years. She recently attended the International Camporeee in Osaka, Japan and is currently working on her Gold Award. In addition to Girl Scouts, she is very active in her church, serving on its Parish Council for the second year. She plays soccer, tennis, and flute, and loves to bake.

Jonna Gerken

Jonna Gerken was the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), FY18 President. In this capacity, she led 40,000-member international organization which encourages more women to enter and stay in engineering fields. She is also the manager for the Program Chief Manufacturing Engineering (PCME) team at Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corporation (UTC). Her team ensures all engine components meet manufacturing readiness levels appropriate to their lifecycle stage. At Pratt & Whitney since 2000, she has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility within both Operations & Engineering. Gerken holds a BS in industrial and management engineering and an MBA in technology development, both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She received the 2016 Pettit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award from the Connecticut Science Center, the 2014 STEP Award from the Manufacturing Institute, the 2011 Pratt & Whitney Diversity and Inclusion Award, and the 2006 SWE Distinguished New Engineer Award

Erica Evans Gioffre
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Erica Evans Gioffre is an accomplished business leader with a proven track record of building high performing teams, which deliver results through strategic planning, disciplined execution, coaching, and development of individuals. Currently, she serves as Head of Client Engagement at Hirtle Callaghan. In this role, Erica works to ensure clients have the optimal experience with the firm. She is also a member of the firm’s Leadership Team. Erica attended Fairfield University and her other accomplishments include membership in the International Women’s Forum, a master black belt in Six Sigma, and she's the co-creator of the Investment Club for Grace Academy, a school serving under-privileged girls in the Hartford area.  Erica also serves on the investment and finance committees of the Board of Directors and is on the Damon Runyon Advisory Board.

Elizabeth Haynes

Elizabeth Haynes is a financial services leader and educator with more than 20 years of success leading high-performing teams. Elizabeth works at Merrill Lynch where she builds a financial advisory practice focused on women’s financial wellness. Previously, Elizabeth held various leadership positions at American Express, ADP, NJIT, and Lehman Brothers. Elizabeth graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Applied Mathematics and from The Wharton School with an MBA in Finance. She is a member of The Harvard Club of Fairfield County and the Cranbrook Kingswood Alumni Association. Elizabeth lives with her two daughters in Westport, CT.

Bill James

Bill James began his career with Merrill Lynch in 2008, followed by over five years at U.S. Trust, most recently as Vice President, Trust Officer.  Bill returned to Merrill Lynch in 2017 as a Financial Advisor and is currently a partner in The Giuffre James Group. Bill earned a Master’s of Science in Political Sociology from The London School of Economics, and a B.A. in Political Science from Hobart College.  Bill served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania for two years where he taught English as a foreign language in a high school. Bill was recently a Board Member of the Estate Planning Council of Nassau County on Long Island and is actively involved with the Greenwich Young Professionals Group, is a member of the Metropolitan Club of New York City, and is a member of the U.S. alumni association of The London School of Economics. 

Leslie Jenkins

Leslie Jenkins has had a successful career driving multi-million dollar business at companies including General Mills, SC Johnson, and most recently LEGO.  She has broad experience working with global teams and has developed strong leadership, sales, and marketing expertise. Leslie has recently embarked on a new career at Kripalu, a Yoga and Health retreat center located in the Berkshires. As the Director of Sales, Leslie is excited about the opportunity to bring her corporate business competencies to the nonprofit world. Kripalu is a mission-driven organization, which makes the opportunity exceptionally exciting, as driving sales will directly correlate with more well-being in the world!

Lisette Martinez

Lisette Martinez is Yale-New Haven Health System’s Chief Diversity Officer, where she is responsible for the success and continued growth of the system’s diversity and inclusion efforts, guiding analysis, development, and implementation of strategies to advance diversity and inclusion throughout the system. Lisette is a native of Detroit, Michigan and was the recipient of the 2016 Top 100 under 50 Executive Leaders award by Diversity MBA Magazine, was a Forty Under 40 awardee in 2012, and was one of the first women in Cincinnati to receive the Women of Influence Award by Lead Magazine in 2013.  In 2014 she was awarded the Multicultural Leadership Award by the Ohio Diversity Council.  Most recently she was honored by Major League Baseball with the SEAT 21 Award that recognizes individuals who embody the humanitarian spirit of Roberto Clemente.  Lisette graduated with Delta Epsilon Sigma honors from Thomas More College with an MBA in May of 2006; and received her BBA from the University of Cincinnati in August of 1996. 

Adrienne Parkmond, Esq.
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Adrienne Parkmond, Esq. is the Chief Operating Officer of The Workplace in Bridgeport, a $25 million nonprofit agency responsible for job training, business development, and human services for youths and adults, including services for veterans, older workers, and at-risk populations. Adrienne is the former President of the Board of the CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund and holds a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Finance from Villanova University and a Juris Doctor from Quinnipiac University School of Law. She brings her change management and grant writing skills to Girl Scouts of Connecticut.

Megan Rodriguez-Hawkins

Megan Hawkins-Rodriguez is sophomore at Hall High School and has been involved with Girl Scouts for 8 years during which she’s earned both the Bronze and Silver Awards and is currently pursuing her Gold Award. Megan has also traveled internationally with Girl Scouts to Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.  At school Megan participates in the winter cheer program, Girls with Impact and the Spanish exchange program. 

Eliza Stanley

Eliza Stanley is a junior at Sacred Heart Greenwich with 13 years of Girl Scout experience. She has earned her Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award and has also served as a Council Delegate. This will be her first year serving as a Girl Board Member. Her extracurricular activities include being an editor for a literary magazine, art, science research, scuba diving, and volunteering at an immigrant community center, nursing homes, and animal shelters.

 

 

Pamela Scagliarini
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Pamela Scagliarini is the Chief Operating Officer of Bridgeport Hospital and Senior Vice President of Operations for Yale New Haven Health System, and she brings her extensive experience in healthcare operations, process improvement, and leadership development to Girl Scouts of Connecticut. In addition to her twenty-plus year career in supply chain management, and more recently, hospital operations, she also serves as a Women & Leadership course facilitator at the Yale-New Haven Institute for Excellence. In addition to Girl Scouts of Connecticut, she also serves on the Greater New England Minority Supplier Diversity Council Board. Pamela graduated with her MBA in Health Care Management from the University of New Haven and was named Graduate Fellow.  Pam serves as the Chairperson of the Board Development Committee.

Carol Quinn Toomey

Carol Quinn Toomey is a director in Accenture's public service business. She’s been with Accenture’s Hartford, CT office for 29 years, having joined the company with a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Connecticut. Since joining Accenture, she has specialized in helping organizations successfully navigate change, particularly as relates to global change programs and large scale systems implementations. Carol is currently responsible for achieving Accenture’s vision to be the premier innovation and execution partner for the state of Connecticut, and university and nonprofit clients in Connecticut. She is passionate about bringing the best of Accenture every day to support her home state across a range of consulting and technology programs. Carol has been involved with various locally-based charities and organizations, including teaching children’s religious studies and serving on the board for a local chapter of the Spina Bifida Association for several years. She lives with her husband, daughter, and son in Portland, CT.

Zulma Toro

Dr. Zulma Toro became the 13th President of Central Connecticut State University in 2017 and is the first female and first Hispanic president in CCSU's history. Dr. Toro has long been an avid scholar and a champion of making higher education more diverse and more inclusive. Her publications have testified eloquently about the national imperative of preparing women for careers in engineering and STEM, and she has spoken passionately about the challenges and opportunities for women of color in realizing their full potential and breaking all manners of “glass ceilings.” Dr. Toro earned a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Master’s degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, and Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and has served as the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Prior to that, she was the Dean of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University, Kansas, the Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of New Haven, Connecticut, and the Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.

Desiree Wolfe

Desiree Wolfe is Webster Bank’s Director of Product Management, with responsibility over the management, marketing, and analytics of the deposits, lending, payments, and investments product lines for the consumer and small business segments. Desiree has more than 25 years of experience managing products and implementing marketing programs for companies in the financial services and technology industries. Desiree has received the 40 Under 40 and Champion for Celebrating Diversity awards, both from the Fairfield County Business Journal. Desiree earned her Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and her MBA from Columbia Business School. She serves on the Boards of the Living Word Church and the Connecticut Women’s Hall of Fame.    

 

Board Development Committee

Jeanne Ambrosio
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Jeanne Ambrosio has been involved in Girl Scouts for over 30 years, holding various roles from troop leader to National Delegate three times. She served on the governance committee and is very excited to now serve on the Board Development Committee. As a registered nurse she worked in various areas, always involving children – from NICUs to school nursing supervisor. Her most recent position was as an adjunct instructor at Goodwin College. Now retired, Jeanne lives in Bristol with her husband Tony. They have two children in college.

Yasmin Blackburn, Esq.
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Yasmin Blackburn, Esq. is a Senior Associate at Kidambi & Associates, P.C. in Trumbull, Connecticut, a boutique-business immigration law firm where Yasmin specializes in bringing multinational and executive managers, engineers, doctors, and professional athletes and coaches to the United States.  She is also the President of the Polished Pearls Foundation, Incorporated, a non-profit foundation focused on strengthening and supporting the community by offering programs to enrich the lives of women and girls of all ages, providing scholarships and book grants to children from Fairfield county pursuing higher education, healthy financial planning workshops, provision of seasonally appropriate clothing, and food drives. Yasmin has been a proud Girl Scout since the age of 6 and she hopes to continue instilling that love in girls by leading the multi-level troop of Daisies through Seniors she started in 2010. In addition, Yasmin has been a Girl Scout Gold Award Mentor since 2013. Yasmin earned her J.D. at Temple University Beasley School of Law. She also holds a BA and MA from Iowa State University where she honed the grant writing and leaderships skills used to this day.

Marie Kulesza

Marie Kulesza is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Accounting at Central Connecticut State University. Her teaching areas are in financial accounting, financial reporting theory, and auditing. She holds a BS in Accounting from Central Connecticut State University and a MS in Public Accounting from University of Hartford.  She is a member of the CTCPA Advisory Board, American Institute of CPAs, Institute of Management Accountants, and Community Accounting Services.

Janet Lewis

Janet Lewis is an award-winning Luxury Travel Advisor with 25 years of experience providing concierge travel services to individuals and corporate clients. A Certified Travel Consultant and active member of the International Association of Travel Agents Network, Janet is the owner of a premier full-service travel agency in southern Connecticut and has shared her travel expertise as a featured guest on TV and radio. Janet won multiple annual Pacesetter Awards at American Express in New York City, where she coordinated high-end luxury travel and concierge services for senior executives and high net-worth individuals.

Jade Melvin

Jade Melvin is a Senior Manager of Strategic Programs of The Women's Business Enterprise National Council and formerly the Business Development and Marketing Manager at Tuck Executive Education MBE Programs of Tuck School of Business-Dartmouth College. Jade is affiliated with many other organizations and is the Founder of Beyond the Heels, Holding LLC. In addition to the Board Development Committee, she also serves on our Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. Jade is currently pursuing an advanced degree from St. John’s University.