A little rain couldn’t dampen the girl power and good vibes at the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast’s Famous Formers Luncheon, held under a tent overlooking the water at Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club in Virginia Beach on September 23. The organization’s first major in-person event since COVID, this annual celebration honors change-making women leaders, all former Girl Scouts, along with a Corporate G.I.R.L (Go-Getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker and Leader) Champion.
The luncheon was followed by a welcome from Council Board Chair Barbara Tierney, a past vice president with TowneBank, and a video introduction of each honoree sharing how her Girl Scouting experiences impacted her life and shaped her future. Keynote speaker Barbara Blake Gonzalez, Chief Administrative Officer of The Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Policy and contributing author of the annual State of the Region and State of the Commonwealth in 2019, also gave a presentation about gender parity and how Girl Scouting can make a difference.
“Join me in imagining a world where girls will never have to think twice about stepping up to leadership,” Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller told the approximately 200 guests gathered for the event. “Imagine a world where girls are confident to use their voices. Girls learning to value themselves and knowing they are valued by others.”
This year’s Famous Formers honorees included: Holly Deal, Lieutenant Commander of Coast Guard Finance Center, U.S. Coast Guard; Cathy Fox, Business Operations Manager, The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium; Suzanne Garcia, President/CEO, SeaHill Spa at the Cavalier; Dawn Peters, Associate Planner, Lincoln Financial Advisors; Janet Roach, Anchor/ Reporter, 13NewsNow; Dr. Michelle W. Woodhouse, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer, Tidewater Community College; Future Famous Former Sarah Noffsinger, Chesapeake City Schools Teacher; and 2020 Corporate G.I.R.L. Champion of the Year: United Way of South Hampton Roads. All are pictured except for Sarah Noffsinger and Holly Deal.
Coastal Virginia Magazine served as a media partner for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast Famous Formers Luncheon.