Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia hires new C.E.O.

As a 15-year old Girl Scout from Tennessee attending a national roundup in Idaho, Margaret Skene never dreamed that she would someday become CEO of a Girl Scout council in Georgia. Her passion for the mission of Girl Scouting inspired her to come out of retirement to become a professional Girl Scout. This passionate commitment ultimately led Skene to the role of Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia.

Skene will assume her position on April 1, in preparation for a merger that will bring six Georgia Girl Scout councils together to create Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. The merger will be official on May 1. Skene will lead six regional offices serving 25,000 girls in 121 counties.

"Margaret Skene is a bridge-builder with the kind of experience and skill that will allow our new council to thrive," said Debbie Lane, Chair of the CEO Search Committee. "We are very excited about her leadership."

Skene's leadership journey to Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia included five years as CEO of Girl Scouts of Citrus Council in Orlando, FL, where she was respected for her commitment to girls and volunteers. As a former Girl Scout troop leader, Skene has first-hand knowledge of the vital role that volunteers play in the lives of girls and the overall success of the council.

Prior to becoming a professional Girl Scout, Skene worked for 26 years with Nortel Networks in Alpharetta, GA, where she was vice president of customer service. She has an extensive background in human resources management including team building, coaching and mentoring. In 1994, Nortel recognized her outstanding skills by presenting her with the President's Award for Individual Achievement in People Development and in 2000, she received the company's top award for the highest Customer Loyalty in North America.

During her tenure at Nortel, Skene proved herself to be an innovative and inspirational leader. Highly respected by those who have worked with her, Skene understands the unique balance between effectively and efficiently managing a company's business and maintaining the highest levels of customer service.

Skene holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Tennessee and an

M.B.A. from the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt University. She will reside in the Macon area with her husband Gerald, an active Girl Scout volunteer.

Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's pre-eminent organization for girls, with a membership of more than 3.7 million girls and adults. The Girl Scout mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. More than 50 million girls have developed leadership skills through Girl Scouting since the organization was founded almost 100 years ago.