side menu icon

Governance

CEO Search

Dear Members and Friends of Girl Scouts of Connecticut:

I am writing to provide you with the bittersweet news that Mary Barneby, our CEO for nearly 8 years, will be leaving Girl Scouts of Connecticut in September.  Mary will assume the position of Regional CEO for the American Red Cross of Greater New York, the largest Red Cross chapter in the country.

For those of you who know and have worked with Mary, you know that her commitment to Girl Scouting and our Mission has been enduring throughout her tenure.  Mary put our girls at the center of everything she did.  A passionate advocate for the advancement of girls and women throughout Connecticut, she has been a visible presence and exceptional role model to us all. Her integrity, honor, and pride have set the highest of standards, one that reflects everything we believe in as Girl Scouts. 

Mary has also developed a reputation for operational excellence, proving that it is possible to be a visible leader outside in the community without sacrificing operating discipline within the organization.  Mary enhanced our infrastructure and created an outstanding team that will fuel our success long into the future.  You need to look no further than the recent global pandemic for evidence of Mary’s outstanding leadership.  She was there to comfort our Girl Scout community, and lead our team as they adapted and found new ways to support our Mission.

I know that leaving GSOFCT was a very difficult decision for Mary.  However, always the Girl Scout, she could not walk away from the opportunity to make an impact with the greatest humanitarian organization in the world.  On behalf of the Board of Directors, I wish her all the best and extend our deepest gratitude for showing us what it means to truly be a sister to every Girl Scout.

I want to assure all of you that the Board of Directors is working diligently to facilitate a seamless transition for our girls, volunteers and staff as we work to identify our next CEO.  Karen Sheehan, long-time Girl Scout member, volunteer, and recently retired GSOFCT Chief Mission Delivery Officer, has graciously agreed to step in as Interim CEO.  Many of you know Karen and are familiar with her passion for our Mission and excellent leadership track record.  We are fortunate that she is able to help us through this transitional time.  Karen will begin immediately to work with Mary to help facilitate the transition and support the board in its search process.

We have created a Search Committee, comprised of board members Dolores Ennico (Chair), Jonna Gerken, and Carol Quinn Toomey.  I will be an ex-officio member and will provide guidance to the committee, as needed.  As soon as possible, we will provide information about our search on the Governance section of our website.

I promise to keep you all apprised as to our progress.  The GSOFCT Board and Leadership team are poised and ready to support you in all aspects to ensure that our girls remain at the center of all that we do, especially in these challenging times.  I will reach out again in the coming weeks regarding ways to pay tribute to Mary’s legacy at GSOFCT.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Nicole Sandford
President, Girl Scouts of Connecticut
Board of Directors


Board of Directors

Girl Scouts of Connecticut's Board of Directors 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 .

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 Governance.
  • Girl Members
    Girls over the age of 16 are welcome to apply as a candidate.
  • Applications for 2020 are now closed.

All candidates will be interviewed by the board development committee. Selected candidates will be formally voted in during the Annual Meeting each April. 

Why be a girl board member? Hear from past girl board members about why they loved it! 

 
Council Delegates

Each year, service units elect delegates and alternate delegates to represent them at the council level. Delegates are integral members of their service unit and 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! The nomination deadline has passed for this year. Nomination forms are due every December.

  • book1_32

    GSUSA Blue Book
    of Basic Documents

  • gears1_32

    GSOFCT Bylaws
    (amended April 24, 2016)

  • file4_32

    Council Proposal Process and Form

  • head-idea_32

    Strategic Learning

NEW! Check out  the 2018-2019 Annual Report!

Download PDF Full Report | Fact Sheet

 

 

GSOFCT Board of Directors

Officers

Nicole Sandford - Chair

Nicole Sandford, a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, is the Executive Vice President and Global Board Services Leader at Ellig Group, an executive and board search firm that specializes in placing diverse candidates in senior leadership roles. Prior to joining Ellig Group, Nicole spent 27 years with Deloitte, where she held a number of roles including audit partner, founding member of the Deloitte Center for Corporate Governance, and National Managing Partner of Deloitte’s U.S. Regulatory and Operational Risk practice. Her work with large, complex organizations has focused on helping executives and boards in matters related to corporate governance, culture and compliance. Nicole is a member of the Stamford Public Education Foundation (SPEF) board, and is an emeritus 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 received numerous awards for her work related to corporate board diversity efforts, including The International Alliance for Women’s “World of Difference” award. Nicole was a proud and active supporter of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop for more than ten years.  She is passionate about causes related to cancer and women’s health, acting as a volunteer driver for the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery Program, and a member of the Greenwich Hospital’s Breast Cancer Leadership Committee. She lives in Stamford with her husband and three children.

Pamela Scagliarini - 1st Vice Chair
PamScagliarini

Pamela Scagliarini, Chief Operating Officer of Bridgeport Hospital and Senior Vice President of Operations for Yale New Haven Health System, brings her extensive experience in healthcare operations, process improvement and leadership development to GSOFCT.  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 GSOCT, she also serves on the Greater New England Minority Supplier Diversity Council Board. Pamela graduated with her M.B.A. 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.

Liz McGovern - 2nd Vice Chair
LizMcGovern

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.

Carol Quinn Toomey - 3rd Vice Chair

Carol Quinn Toomey is a director in Accenture's public service business. She’s been with Accenture’s Hartford, CT office for 32 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.

Sarah Broderick - Treasurer

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 called 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.  

Diana Mahoney - Secretary

Diana Mahoney is an accomplished engineering professional with over 28 years’ experience in numerous aspects of electrical engineering, design, and organizational leadership within the utility industry. Currently, Diana is Director Planning, Scheduling & 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 Transmission Engineering, Director Operations Support, Director Division Operations, and Manager Asset Strategy. Diana holds a Bachelor degree 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.

Mary Barneby - Chief Executive Officer
Click for a larger version

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 UBS Wealth Management. 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.

Cheri Amado

Cheri Amado is a senior Software Systems Engineer at Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin Company. She has over 30 years of experience at the company working in various capacities in the Engineering & Technology department including work on numerous military and commercial helicopter programs involving the development of software manufacturing execution systems.

Cheri most recently served on the Steering Committee for Fairfield County’s Community Foundation Fund for Women and Girls.  She also served as the financial officer for the Fairfield County and New Haven CT Professional Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Cheri currently serves on the Mid-Fairfield County Dress for Success Advisory Board. She is proud to have members of her family and friends that participate in the Girl Scouts. Cheri is also a committed STEM advocate for local area youth.

Cheri holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Fairfield University and also holds an MBA and MS in Manufacturing Systems and Operations Management both from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Alexia Anglade

Alexia Anglade is a sophomore and honors student at Ridgefield High School. At RHS, Alexia is a member of the DECA and the Save the Children club. She is currently working on her Gold Award, and has been recognized annually with the Girl Scout community service pin and Presidential Service Award. In her community, Alexia is also on the Junior Boards for the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation and Ms President US. Outside of school she dances daily with a focus on ballet and jazz and will be performing in her tenth recital performance this spring. She is currently a Girl Scout Senior and has been an active Girl Scout for 10 years.

Kia Baird

Kia A. Baird serves as the President of the New London County Section of the National Council of Negro Women, an organization founded in 1935 to work collectively for women’s rights and the rights of young people.  Kia is a former Ambassador for the Eastern CT Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals and served the Chamber as a member of its Board of Trustees.   In 2013 Kia Baird received the Young Professionals Community Service Award.  In 2015, she was honored with her peers as one the region’s 40 Under Forty and in the follow years Kia was privileged to become one the SECT Professional Women of the Year and 100 Women of Color (CT, MA, RI).

Kia is a founding member of the Eastern Connecticut Urban Professionals, an organization dedicated to Networking and Career Development for Professionals in the urban parts of our state.  Kia is the President of OutCT, a 501c3 organization that works to build a community through educational and social programming that promotes acceptance and understanding of the LGBTQ community.  Kia is also the Co-Chair of the Southeastern CT Re-entry Council, serving individuals that are returning to the community after incarceration. She is also on the Diversity Board for the Norwich Bulletin and has been featured several times as a guest columnist.

In addition to all her many community endeavors, Kia Baird is a classically trained soprano.  She studied the business of music at the Historically Black College- Winston Salem State University (UNC) located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  Kia is a former Board of Directors member of the Norwich Arts Center, where she created Miss Lottie’s Café, A jazz- theater series, named for art and community activist, Lottie B Scott in historic Norwich, CT and is the Founder of Girls in Jazz.  Kia serves on the Executive Committee for the Southeastern CT Cultural Coalition.

Kia’s dream is to connect people with passion and creativity to opportunities that develop exceptional business acumen, drive economic development and strengthening the community as a whole

Dolores Ennico

Dolores Ennico is a commercially focused Global C-Suite Executive with a record of helping deliver financial results and driving growth through development and delivery of pragmatic human capital strategies, initiatives and best practices. She has exhibited progressive leadership with extensive success in a variety of business functions (sales and marketing) and human capital (compensation, benefits, talent acquisition, employee relations, EEO and diversity) roles culminating in key role as Chief Human Resources Officer of Olin Corporation, a Fortune 500 company.

Additionally, as Head of Olin Charitable Trust, she was responsible in building budget for Board approval and administering charitable giving for the corporation.

Dolores began her career as a Senior Research Associate at Olin’s New Haven research and development center rising through the ranks to Manager of the Microbiology Lab before transitioning to Manager, Employee Relations, Chemicals R&D where she supported the HR needs of a client group of 300 chemicals research professionals at a brand new facility in Cheshire, CT.

Dolores serves on the Board of the University of New Haven—Board of Governors and Chair, Academic & Student Affairs Committee. As Chair of the largest committee and Member of the Executive Committee, she has led changes in curriculum and addressed broad student issues to attract high caliber students to the university. Dolores is also a member of the advisory council of the Sacred Heart Academy where she serves on the Building Committee and leads fundraising for high school alma mater. Past Board membership include Lewis & Clark Community College, Alton Hospital, St. Louis Business Health Coalition, United Way of St. Louis and Junior Achievement of Southwest Connecticut.

Dolores, who is known as Dee, is a graduate of the University of New Haven with an MBA in Marketing and an MS in Biochemistry/BS in Microbiology from Southern Connecticut State University.

Dr. Jacquelyn Garofano

Dr. Jacquelyn Garofano is a STEMinist and fierce advocate for increasing the presence of women in STEM fields: “see her, be her”.  A Connecticut native and first-generation college student, Jackie earned a bachelor’s in physics with honors from Southern CT State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in materials science and engineering from the University of Connecticut. Jackie began her career as a research scientist at United Technologies Research Center in 2011 and was named program manager of the prestigious Margaret Ingels Engineering Development Program in 2018. Jackie has eleven technical publications and two U.S. patent awards to her credit. She is an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, the Emerging Leaders Society, Women United and is a long-time leadership donor and volunteer for the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. She was named a 2011 Women of Innovation by the Connecticut Technology Council, Forty Under Forty by Connecticut Magazine and Hartford Business Journal, and the 2018 Future is NOW awardee by the CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund for her work to advance women and girls in the STEM field. Most recently, she’s been named the recipient of the 2020 Petit Family Foundation Women in Science Leadership Award. 

Jonna Gerken

Jonna Gerken served 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 a project manager in the Global Transitions organization at Pratt & Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corporation (UTC). She manages global manufacturing source transitions to ensure timely approvals for cost, delivery & capacity improvements. 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 2019 Influential Women in Manufacturing Award, 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
EricaEvans

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 and is a member of the Management Committee at Hirtle Callaghan. In this role, Erica works to ensure clients have the optimal experience with the firm. Erica attended Fairfield University, is currently a member of the International Women’s Forum and is co-creator of the Investment Club for Grace Academy, a school serving under-privileged girls in the Hartford area.  Erica also serves as the Investment Committee Chair and is a member of the finance and executive committees of Girl Scouts of CT.  In addition, she is on the Advisory Board for the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation.  Erica’s introduction to the Girl Scouts was as a brownie in Mount Dora, Florida where she was raised, is a Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts and a member of the Juliette Gordon Low Society.

Elizabeth Haynes

Elizabeth Haynes is a financial services leader and educator with a 20+ year history of success leading high-performing teams. Elizabeth works at Merrill Lynch, building 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 BA 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 James Fischer 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 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.

Ashley Morrell

Ashley Morrell is currently an Ambassador scout for the Groton Lighthouse Service Unit and a junior at the Marine Science Magnet High School. As a junior, she completed her Gold Award and made an impact on her community by creating a figure skating safety program, completed her summit award, and was a part of the 1,000 box club. Her future plans are to continue serving as a scout in her community and she will be involved as a Board of Girl Scouts of Connecticut member and service unit delegate. Not only is she an active Girl Scout, but she is also enrolled in multiple AP/ECE courses and shows leadership in school by being a part of the National Honor Society. Outside of Girl Scouts and school, Ashley is involved in sports including figure skating and crew.

Katie Nedder

Kathleen Nedder has been a Girl Scout for nine years in a multi-level troop, which has provided her with the opportunity to work with girls of all ages.  She has earned her Bronze and Silver Awards and currently working on her Gold Award. Kathleen has a rich Girl Scout history-her Grandmother was a Girl Scout in the 1940s and her Mom was also a Girl Scout. Additionally, she is on the Varsity field hockey team and in her school band.

Adrienne Parkmond, Esq.
AdrienneParkmond

Adrienne Parkmond, Esq. is the Chief Operating Officer of The Workplace in Bridgeport, a $25 million non-profit 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 past President of the Board of the CT Women’s Education and Legal Fund and holds a Bachelor 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.

Elise Sinha

Elise Sinha is a Girl Scouts of Connecticut Board of Directors member and the Senior Director for Operational Excellence at Hartford Healthcare.  In this role she advances the organization’s operating model with Lean, Project Management and Change Management expertise.  Her extensive healthcare leadership experience includes Project Management, Organizational Development, Electronic Health Record/ Clinical Information Technology, and Respiratory Care.  Elise holds her Master’s in Managed Care Systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and BS in Respiratory Care from the University of Hartford.  In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for GS of CT, she is also a member of the United Way Women’s United Steering Council, is a Southern New England Project Management Institute Mentor, and is an Apraxia Kids Team Coordinator.  Elise is a Junior Girl Scout Troop Leader in Wethersfield for Troop 10276.  She is also a member of the Board Development Committee.   She lives in Wethersfield, Ct with her husband, son and daughter.

Leila Troxell

Leila Troxell is a junior and an honor student at Weston High School.  She has been a Girl Scout for almost 12 years and recently received her Gold Award for a book buddy reading program she created to help kids age 7-9 learn that reading can be fun.   Leila has three older brothers - Chase, Preston, and Gray - and two dogs - Bailey and Mia. Leila is a goalie for her high school soccer team and a member of the golf team. She is the co-president of the Weston Save the Children Club  as an advocate to ensure that every child has a chance to not only survive, but thrive.  Leila is the founder of the Weston High School Baking Club which has a mission to spread joy through the baking and sharing of sweet treats. During her free time, Leila likes to read, bake, and relax with friends.

Desiree Wolfe

Desiree Wolfe Desiree has more than 25 years of experience bringing great  ideas to life through product management and marketing for companies in the financial services and technology industries.  Currently, she is the Director of Product Management for Webster Bank, with responsibility over the management, direct marketing and analytics  for the Deposits, Lending, Payments, and Investments product lines within  the Consumer and Small Business segments. Previous to Webster, Desiree has held product and marketing leadership roles at Fiserv, Chase, and Foote Cone & Belding. 

Desiree serves as the Vice Chair of the Deposits and Payments Committee of the Consumer Bankers Association and as a member of the BAI Research Executive Council.  She  has received  “40 Under 40” and “Champion for Celebrating Diversity” awards, both from the Fairfield County (Connecticut) Business Journal.

In her community, Desiree serves on the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Woman’s Hall of Fame as Vice Chair and is a member of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut Board.  Desiree earned her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and her MBA from Columbia Business School.    Desiree is the proud mom of twin Cadette Girl Scouts.  

 

Board Development Committee

Jeanne Ambrosio
JeanneAmbrosio

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. Jeanne’s daughter, Amanda, served on the Board of Directors of Girls Scouts of Connecticut in 2012.

Yasmin Blackburn, Esq.
YasminBlackburn

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 on the board of directors for the Foundation for Educational Opportunities, Inc. (FEO), a non-profit foundation focused on strengthening and supporting the community by fostering an increased heightened interest in academics and social issues while, promoting higher education and instilling a desire to succeed in and contribute to the Greater Hartford community. Yasmin has been a proud Girl Scout since the age of 6 and is a lifetime member.  She receives great joy through Scouting and hopes to continue instilling that love in girls by leading the multi-level troop she started in 2010. In addition, Yasmin has been a Girl Scout Gold Award Mentor since 2013 and is currently the Pak treasurer for her son's Boy Scout Pack. 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 leadership 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 CT and has shared her travel expertise as a featured guest on TV and radio. Janet won multiple annual Pacesetter Awards at American Express in NYC, 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 – 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 BDC, she also serves on our Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. Jade is currently pursuing an advanced degree from St. John’s University.

Pamela Scagliarini
PamScagliarini

Pamela Scagliarini, Chief Operating Officer of Bridgeport Hospital and Senior Vice President of Operations for Yale New Haven Health System, brings her extensive experience in healthcare operations, process improvement and leadership development to GSOFCT.  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 GSOCT, she also serves on the Greater New England Minority Supplier Diversity Council Board. Pamela graduated with her M.B.A. 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.

Elise Sinha

Elise Sinha is a Girl Scouts of Connecticut Board of Directors member and the Senior Director for Operational Excellence at Hartford Healthcare.  In this role she advances the organization’s operating model with Lean, Project Management and Change Management expertise.  Her extensive healthcare leadership experience includes Project Management, Organizational Development, Electronic Health Record/ Clinical Information Technology, and Respiratory Care.  Elise holds her Master’s in Managed Care Systems from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and BS in Respiratory Care from the University of Hartford.  In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for GS of CT, she is also a member of the United Way Women’s United Steering Council, is a Southern New England Project Management Institute Mentor, and is an Apraxia Kids Team Coordinator.  Elise is a Junior Girl Scout Troop Leader in Wethersfield for Troop 10276.  She is also a member of the Board Development Committee.   She lives in Wethersfield, Ct with her husband, son and daughter.

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 Member EMERITUS

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz
SusanB

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.

 

 

Hiking Today. Trailblazing Tomorrow. Become a Girl Scout. Join Now
Hiking Today. Trailblazing Tomorrow. Become a Girl Scout. Join Now
500x655_Mobile_HomePage-Hero_19_GE_TrailHiking
500x655_Mobile_HomePage-Hero_19_GE_TrailHiking