Board of Directors
Girls thrive in Girl Scouts. It is a safe space where girls can be
unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise
to meet new challenges. Adults within the Movement are their champions
and advocates, especially as members of our Girl Scouts of Greater
Chicago and Northwest Indiana Board of Directors.
Directors use their professional expertise and personal perspectives
to collectively advance Girls Scouts to anticipate by providing
governance oversight, assisting in the development of the strategic
vision, and actively supporting fundraising efforts. As for governance
volunteers, directors represent our membership and reflect its
diversity, including geographic, racial/ethnic, gender, age, and
socio-economic. Board members are elected by the full Delegate
Assembly.
Girl Scouts GCNWI Board of Directors
Sidney R. Dillard - Board President
Loop Capital
Sidney Dillard is head of the Corporate Investment Banking Division at Loop Capital. In addition to managing the corporate team at Loop Capital, Ms. Dillard is responsible for relationship management and the team's business development efforts with corporations across all areas of the firm, including bond underwriting, initial public offerings, at-the-markets, share repurchase, private institutional capital raising and mergers & acquisitions advisory. Ms. Dillard has worked on capital raise and advisory assignments representing over $600 billion. Ms. Dillard serves on the firm's Management Committee and Fairness and Valuation Committee.
Outside of Loop Capital, Ms. Dillard is heavily involved with various professional and philanthropic organizations. She is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicago Network, the International Women’s Forum and is a Leadership Greater Chicago Fellow. In addition to her organizational memberships, she also sits on various non-profit boards, including the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana (Board President), The Chicago Network, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago (chair), and the Obama Foundation Inclusion Council.
Ms. Dillard received a Masters of Management in Finance, Marketing and Management from Northwestern University's Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a Bachelor's of Arts in Economics from Stanford University.
"Ms. Dillard is focused on leadership, empowerment and access for women, girls, and African-Americans in her philanthropic engagements."
Jackie Barlow - 1st Vice President - President, US Commercial Real
Estate
CIBC, US
Jackie Barlow has spent over 30 years as a commercial banker, focusing on financing commercial real estate. In addition to the last six years at CIBC, she has worked with a variety of commercial, community, and large national banks located in Chicago. She is an active volunteer and has served on several non-profit boards, including Hephzibah Children's Association, Oak Park Regional Housting Center, and Oak Park Economic Development Corporation. She is also a former Girl Scout troop leader!
"I am passionate about helping women into leadership roles throughout our society. GCNWI's track record of empowering young women makes me proud to be a member."
Sarah Cigrang - 2nd Vice President, Human Resources
Griffith Foods
Sarah Cigrang grew up in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago and attended the University of Illinois for undergrad and graduate school. After graduate school, Sarah took her first job in HR, and moved to Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, and even to Switzerland for three years. Now back in Chicago, Sarah loves spending time with family and friends, eating great food, and staying fit and healthy.
"I grew up a Girl Scout and my mother was my troop leader for several years. She was an inspiration to me and a role model of female leadership. I want to do the same for many other girls. "
Carol Murphy - Treasurer
Executive Vice President and Casualty Leader
HUB International
Sheryl L. Yasger - Secretary
Vice President
Diners Club INternational Ad, Branding & Marketing
Sheryl Yasger is Vice President of Diners Club International Brand Marketing for Discover Global Network at Discover Financial Services. As a brand steward passionate about doing what is right for the customer and a marketing strategist focused on partnering with Senior leaders from DCI Franchises around the globe, she has helped to build purpose-driven brands that stand out and deliver business results.
She holds a Master’s of Science degree in Organizational and Interpersonal Communication from Illinois State University in Normal, IL, and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and Sociology from Carroll University-Waukesha, Wisconsin.
She loves hanging out with her amazing daughter and husband, traveling, working out, reading, cooking, and spending time with family and friends.
"I believe everyone has the power to make a difference. Now more than ever, Girl Scouts has the opportunity – and responsibility – to empower girls and young women to not only courageously and confidently stand tall, but to standout as aspirational leaders with character who can and will make a difference in our world today and tomorrow…Count me in!."
Nancy L. Wright - Ex-Officio Member/CEO
Girl Scouts GCNWI
Duke Alden - Vice President, Client & Customer Security
Alight Solutions
Duke, an information security executive and attorney, draws on his passion for equity, opportunity, and education to advocate for stronger and more resilient communities. In 2015, Duke was appointed Illinois Human Rights Commissioner, where he served until his term ended in 2019. Duke co-chaired the Governor's LGBTQ Working Group to inform state leaders of issues impacting LGBTQ Illinoisans from 2015-2019. Duke is deeply involved in various civic organizations and initiatives that connect communities, create equity, and fundamentally improve the human condition.
"No organization is better positioned than Girl Scouts to prepare girls to lead, learn, and thrive. I serve on the board because I know our future will be made brighter by these girls of Courage, Confidence, and Character! "
Danielle Austen - CEO
fluent360
Danielle is the founder and CEO of fluent360 LLC, a full-service, multicultural advertising agency. From Nordstrom to Sony to Nissan, State Farm and Mercedes-Benz, Danielle has helped grow brands, while making the world a more inclusive place through messaging and imagery. She serves on the National Board of Directors for the American Advertising Federation and a start-up tech firm, CRVIII.com. Danielle received her undergraduate degree from Emory University and her graduate degree from Northwestern University. Born and raised on Chicago’s Southside, she resides there with her husband and two kids.
"We need to focus on the health, strength and wellness of all girls as they are critical to the success of our communities, our nation and our world."
Susan Beverly - Director and
Head of Worldwide Transparency, Partnerships and Engagement
Amazon
Tess Boland - Partner
KPMG
Tess performs attestation work over public and privately held technology and professional services companies and has worked extensively with senior client management and audit committees to achieve efficient and effective worldwide audits.
Tess has provided professional audit services to several large multinational companies as well as midsize, privately owned technology, manufacturing and distribution companies. She has served a range of companies from entrepreneurial to international businesses with sales in excess of $40 billion. Her audit experience ranges from SEC filings, initial public securities offerings and debt offerings to mergers and acquisitions.
Tess serves as the Partner in Charge of KPMG's on-shore and off-shore centers of excellence.
"Building courage, confidence and character is such an incredible mission. I have such amazing memories of being a girl scout and participating in my daughter's troop. My goal is to bring the girl scouting experience to as many girls as possible. "
Christine Concari - General Manager, Customer Service Company
Cleveland-Cliffs
Christine Concari is a metallurgical engineer by degree, and worked in the Quality Department in steel mills for over 20 years while earning her master's degree and raising her two daughters. She is currently in the Commercial department of ArcelorMittal USA, first as a salesperson and now as head of their customer service department for the last 10 years. Born in western Pennsylvania, Christine spent most of her adult life in Baltimore and now lives in Chicago.
"I wanted to get involved in something meaningful outside of work and ArcelorMittal has been a big supporter of Girl Scouts. My daughters were Girl Scouts, so this has been a great opportunity to be involved with a special organization that means so much to me personally and to my company."
Shannon Fuller - VP of Talent Solutions
Health Care Service Corporation
I am 20+ year HR executive and strategic business partner. I am known for directing complex people and talent strategies ultimately driving key strategic outcomes at all levels for very large organizations.
"I serve because I have a deep passion for helping our youth reach their full potential. I want to use my talent, experiences and background in helping our young people flourish. "
Paul Gariepy - Partner Principle
Ernst & Young
Robin Goolsbee - Managing Director
Diversified Search Group
Robin Goolsbee is a Managing Director at Diversified Search where she advises corporate, government and non-profit clients on executive hires and board placements. Prior to joining Diversified Search, Robin spent her career in professional services placing interim executives and consulting teams for clients while at Business Talent Group and serving as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group. She is also on the board of University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital. Earlier, she worked at MTV Networks in New York. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
"The Girl Scouts have been an important and beloved institution for over 100 years, and I am honored to help support our region and the GCNWI's important work in enriching girls."
Janet Hulet - President
Navigating Brilliance
As an internationally-certified coach and experienced business leader, Janet provides one-on-one executive coaching, team building and creative facilitation. She supports leaders and teams to deliver results in this unprecedented complex and uncertain climate, by tapping into each person's natural creativity, resourcefulness, intellect and instinct. Janet is a lifelong Girl Scout, as a scout for 12 years and as a troop leader for another 12 years.
"The Girl Scout movement has opened doors and created pathways for girls for over 100 years . I want us to support ALL girls as they embrace their brilliance, tap into their inherent leadership and truly make the world a better place."
Maureen S. Jamrock - Retired
Maureen Jamrock retired from a career as a middle school teacher and administrator in 2010. Her major field was science education. Since 2002, she has been involved with NASA as a Master Trainer and delivers programs in Astronomy to girls and adult volunteers. She also volunteered as a Solar System Ambassador supported by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Involvement with various professional organizations during her teaching career has fostered her interest in the democratic process and is very involved with this in our council.
"I serve on the GCNWI board to continue pursuing my love for teaching and working with young people and assisting them in developing STEM skills that can be used during their entire lives. Additionally, I enjoy working with other volunteers to help them learn how to use their individual skills and interests to assist girls in the development of life-long skills."
Lara Liss - Group Vice President, Global Chief Privacy Officer
Walgreens Boots Aliance
Lara is the Global Chief Privacy Officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance, a Fortune 20 company. She is also founder and co-lead of the AI Ethics Council for Walgreens Boots Alliance that creates governance around the design and outcomes for artificial technology used at the company. Lara is an advocate for diversity, equity & inclusion and for health equity. She has an undergraduate degree from Northwestern, a JD and Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and is currently enrolled in the Executive MBA program at Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. Outside of work, she enjoys serving as a troop leader for her daughter's Girl Scout troop.
"I serve on the GCNWI Board because I believe that Girl Scouts is uniquely positioned to prepare girls for their best futures by exposing them to science, technology and arts, encouraging them to be active outdoors and in their communities, as well as developing their leadership and entrepreneurial skills."
Annette Martinez - Director
Argonne National Laboratory
Annette is the Director of Communications for Argonne National Laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy multidisciplinary science and engineering research center, where talented researchers work together to answer the biggest questions facing humanity. With a passion for building brands and storytelling Annette has led enterprise-wide communication strategies for some of the nation’s largest utilities and airport systems. While working within organizations that depended on STEM professionals, she saw the need to grow a more diverse STEM workforce and helped develop several programs aimed and increasing women and minorities in STEM education and careers.
Annette is a lifelong Chicagoan and Columbia College graduate. She also serves on the board of Casa Central, the largest Hispanic social service agency in the Midwest offering programs for children, adults, and seniors. Her core passion is family, including her three children who participate in Scouts and Girl Scouts.
"I want to be part of helping to inspire and build tomorrow's women leaders who will make our world a better place. That's why I joined the GCNWI Board."
Ann McAloon - Senior Vice President
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Carla Michelotti - President
Carla Michelotti, LLC
After many years as EVP Chief Legal, Corporate and Government Affairs Officer for Leo Burnett, Carla is now working within the marketing industry on policy issues including digital privacy, freedom of speech, and children's advertising regulation. She is currently on the boards of advertising self-regulation for BBB National Programs, the American Advertising Federation, the International Advertising Federation, and the International Council of Advertising Self Regulators. She is a trustee of DePaul University, from which she has a BA, JD, and honorary doctorate.
"There is no greater purpose than helping.our youth grow into strong, kind, and moral men and women, The Girl Scouts has at its core helping young women grow into good, ethical, strong and smart leaders. I can’t imagine a better reason to support the Girl Scouts-and for THAT reason, I’ve been on the board, and a proud supporter of Girl Scouts, for more than a decade!"
Jennifer Mikulina - Partner
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Jennifer M. Mikulina focuses her practice on trademark and copyright counseling, prosecution, licensing and enforcement. Jennifer works with domestic and international companies to register, maintain, protect and license trademarks, service marks, domain names and other key brands. Jennifer is the former head of the Firm’s global Trademark Prosecution Practice. She is currently the chair of McDermott’s Gender Diversity Committee and is a member, and past chair, of the Firm’s Chicago Pro Bono and Community Service Committee.
"Jennifer is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and leads her daughter's Girl Scout troop. She wants to do all that she can to support the mission of creating girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place!"
Jennifer Montague - CEO
Columbia Gas of Virginia
"I'm dedicated to helping girls today develop the resilience they need to engage in active leadership. In these unprecedented times, Girl Scouts' mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place is needed now more than ever."
April Morgan - Chief of Staff to the Chairman
Chicago Transit Authority
April Morgan is the Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board, the
governing arm of the second largest transit agency in the United States. As Chief of Staff, she advises the Chairman and the Board on policies that impact agency operations.
April is an attorney with extensive legal and policy experience in the areas of technology, governance, diversity and intergovernmental relations. She’s previously served as counsel for the CTA, Illinois General Assembly and the Chicago Board of Education.
A founding member and past president of the GCNWI Associate Board, April believes strongly in giving back. In addition to her board service, she is a Girl Scout troop leader, and serves in a number of leadership and volunteer roles for community organizations promoting educational, professional and economic development.
"As a former Girl Scout and a current troop leader, I have experienced firsthand the positive impact of Girl Scouts, and I believe in the organization’s far-reaching potential to equip girls from all communities and backgrounds to be leaders."
Bobby Owens - Sr. Vice President-Sales & Customer Experience
Randstad USA
Bobby Owens has 24-years of progressing field and corporate services experience as a Sr. Vice President with Randstad, USA. Bobby manages the Business Professionals staffing/sales division across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and Florida. His primary focus is building a stronger brand footprint and increasing market share in these regions through organic retail penetration and strategic partnering with select clients and talent.
"The opportunity to partner give back to my community is extremely important to me. I view this as a privilege and honor to be able to help shape a life through mentorship, support and example. "
Veronica Villalon Pinela - Sr. Manager, Global Brand Marketing
Amazon
Veronica is a seasoned communications professional with over 20 years' experience working on marketing strategies and efforts for regional, national and global brands. As Sr. Manager, Global Brand Marketing at Amazon, Veronica manages global inclusive marketing and diversity PR initiatives both internally and externally. Prior to joining Amazon, Veronica was the EVP of Client Services at PACO Collective, a full-service Inclusive Marketing Agency working on clients such as Aeromexico Airlines, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, ComEd and NIPSCO, among others. She also served as the Midwest Regional Director for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund where under her leadership, nearly one million dollars in scholarship money was raised for local Latino students.
"I serve on the GCNWI Board to be a champion for girls of all ages and backgrounds. I want to help amplify programs specifically aimed at helping to empower them to reach their fullest potential!"
Kim Reome - Central Region Lead Partner
HKA Global
Kim Reome is a Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional, and a Certified Fraud Examiner providing financial and economic damages analysis and froensic accounting for litigation and disputes. Kim's work is focused in the electric utility, construction, and government contract industries and provides expert witness testimony.
"As a former Girl Scout and a mother of Girl Scouts, I am proud to support an organization that prepares girls to face the challenges of the future!"
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Kathy Scherer - Central Region Market Leader & Chicago Managing Partner
Deloitte, Chicago Office
Kathy Scherer, Girl Scouts of GCNWI Board President, is a Deloitte's Central Region Market Leader, leading the marketplace efforts across 30 offices in the region. She also serves as the Managing Partner for Deloitte's Chicago office, which includes leading marketplace and community efforts for the Chicago-based 5,800 professionals. Her personal brand is for delivering exceptional client service, complemented by the ability to develop, lead, and motivate large engagement teams to excel.
"I am passionate about the advancement of women and Girl Scouts helps girls succeed. Girl Scouts gave me courage, confidence and character and I'm passionate about girls today having the same great experience! I am also passionate about making girl scouts a more inclusive organization and using my influence as a board member to foster greater societal equity."
Hille Sheppard - Partner
Sidley Austin LLP
Victoria Tate - Global Controller
Avision Young
Victoria Tate is the Global Controller at Avison Young, a commercial real estate services firm, where she leads the financial accounting, consolidation and reporting process, ensuring the accuracy of consolidated financial information, and streamlines accounting processes and procedures to improve accuracy and efficiency. Prior to her current role, she was Director of External Reporting and Accounting Projects at Donnelley Financial Solutions/RR Donnelley, leading the SEC reporting process, and managing the implementation of new accounting standards and complex pre- and post-spin accounting and reporting. Victoria began her career with Ernst & Young where she spent nearly a decade in their Chicago and London offices providing audit and advisory services to clients. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and a Master of Accountancy from University of Illinois at Chicago.
"I serve on the GCNWI Board to contribute to an organization that provides opportunities for girls to maximize their potential and explore avenues that are not always readily available for them. Girl Scouts provides invaluable resources, opportunities, and a safe space that allows girls to thrive."
Monica M. Weed - President
Monica M. Weed Consulting, LLC
Monica is a lifelong Girl Scout, starting as a Brownie with Troop #60 in Springfield, IL and continuing all the way through high school. Monica is a corporate lawyer, most recently serving as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for Navigant Consulting, Inc. until its sale in October 2019.
Currently, Monica is working with for-profit and non-profit organizations that need assistance with critical legal, governance, compliance and/or strategy matters. In addition to serving on the Board of GSGCNWI, Monica serves on the Board and Executive Committee of the Chicago History Museum and as Chair of the Board of PEER Services, Inc., a community-based substance use prevention and treatment center serving Northern Cook County, Illinois. Monica and her husband live on the north side of Chicago and in Taos Ski Valley, NM in the winter months, indulging in their love of skiing and hiking. Monica earned her BA in Classics, her JD and her MBA from Northwestern University - she bleeds Northwestern purple when she is not bleeding Girl Scout green!
"My passion for Girl Scouts is all around helping to bring new opportunities to girls who might not otherwise have access to them. When there are so many outlets for girls today, why do I advocate for Girl Scouts? Because Girl Scouts welcomes all girls, recognizes and celebrates each girl's uniqueness, and provides an incredible diversity of opportunities for girls from all different backgrounds and interests to work together for a common purpose. There is truly something for everyone under the Girl Scout umbrella."
- Kelsey
- Madelyn
- Katlyn
- Sydney
- Matilyn
- Kayla
