From Your CEO

There has never been a more exciting time to be a Girl Scout!

There is so much to celebrate during our anniversary year and beyond. We as a staff join together with you in delivering on our promise to girls and giving every girl access to life-changing experiences that inspire her to do great things.

Our National Campaign for Girls showcases the vitality of our programming and positions Girl Scouts as the answer for many of the unanswered challenges facing our world today. We have built an exceptional case for support and now it is up to each of us to build an even stronger financial foundation for Girl Scouts of Utah.

I'd like to address the concept GSUSA has shared with councils about being the leaders behind the leaders. As the adult leaders behind a girl-led leadership model, we need to walk the walk, and talk the talk. The values and behaviors we aspire to are essential to cultivating leadership skills within our girl members.

  • We must be girl-centered: Girls are at the center of everything we do.
  • We must be inclusive: We build and maintain an environment in which
  • diversity is represented and valued.
  • We must be accountable: We hold ourselves and each other responsible
  • for our work and relationships. We are committed to excellence. We are honest, trustworthy, and respectful.
  • We must be innovative: We are creative, learn continuously, and have fun together.

As a staff team, we've adopted a philosophy of continuous improvement. To quote Native Utahn, Stephen R. Covey, “Nature teaches that change is a vital part of life. We are part of a dynamic, growing, ever-changing environment. Change is a friend, a companion, a powerful tool, and the basis for growth. Through change, we create better organizations, more productive teams, more harmonious families, and better selves. Creating positive change is what leadership is all about.”

Girl Scouts inspires positive change every time a girl discovers her strength, tries something new, or takes action in her community.

Let us celebrate the fact that change is a constant in life. Let us focus on our ability to adapt in order to remain relevant to today's girls and enthusiastically embrace the opportunities available to us through our incredible Girl Scout Movement. My wish is that we as the leaders behind our girl leaders seek for continuous improvement in ourselves so that we can truly be the example our girls want to follow.

Warm Regards,
Cathleen Sparrow
Girl Scouts of Utah
Chief Executive Officer