Chelsea Wilkerson Named Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida

    MIAMI, FL, August 13, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Serving more than 6,000 girls and volunteers in South Florida's Miami-Dade and Monroe counties - The Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida is one of the Girl Scouts of the USA's 112 nationwide charters. As such, naming a new Chief Executive Director required finding the exact right mix of experience, dedication, spirit, and energy to fulfill the many roles and responsibilities of the local organization. Beginning on August 29, 2016 - that person will be Chelsea Wilkerson, an involved social welfare advocate, volunteer, and parent in the local area whose own daughter is a Junior Girl Scout member.

"I am devoted to the idea that all children in the greater Miami area should have equal opportunities to grow up in strong, safe, thriving communities," said Ms. Wilkerson. "Girl Scouts of the USA has been championing that same goal for more than 100 years. I am extremely honored to be entrusted with this position."

Beyond her personal passions for rich, community-based experiences for children, Ms. Wilkerson is also an extremely accomplished professional with decades of expertise in the non-profit sector. Her proven skill and performance with fundraising, budgeting, networking, cross-platform communications, and growth objectives will be instrumental to her work leading The Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida in its mission to build Miami's young ladies into responsible, engaged, smart, and considerate adults.

In addition to her new role with The Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, Ms. Wilkerson has also served in several leadership roles within the foster care and child welfare system in Miami-Dade County including Executive Director at Casa Valentina and Director of External Affairs and Program Innovation at Our Kids of Miami-Dade/Monroe. Through project development and grant procurement, she has successfully implemented various complex, multi-million dollar initiatives to improve outcomes for children and families with child welfare involvement. Prior to her work in the foster care system, Ms. Wilkerson served as Development Director at Suited for Success in Miami and La Oportunidad in Minneapolis, MN.

Ms. Wilkerson holds a Bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies from Smith College and a MBA from St. Thomas University in St. Paul, MN. She is also the proud parent of two elementary-school aged children.

About Girl Scouts of the USA
We're 3.2 million strong--3.2 million girls and adults who believe girls can change the world. It began over 100 years ago with one woman, Girl Scouts' founder Juliette Gordon "Daisy" Low, who believed in the power of every girl. She organized the first Girl Scout troop on March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, and every year since, we've made her vision a reality, helping girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents. Today we continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. We're the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. And with programs for girls from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit http://www.girlscouts.org.

About The Girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, Inc.
The girl Scout Council of Tropical Florida, Inc. is one of 112 councils nationwide chartered by Girl Scouts of the USA to deliver Girl Scout program within specific geographic boundaries. The local council serves more than 6,000 girls and adult volunteers in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties and maintains five campsites each offering unique experiences for girls and adults. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts, call (305) 253-4841 or visit http://www.girlscoutsfl.org

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