Emerging Leader Virtual Book Club: Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts by Dr. Kathy Cloninger

October 1, 2024 2:00 - 3:00 PM Eastern

In this Emerging Leader Virtual Book Club event we will be discussing Tough Cookies: Leadership Lessons from 100 Years of the Girl Scouts by Dr. Kathy Cloninger.

You can purchase the book through Amazon.

Author and Facilitator:

Dr. Kathy Cloninger:  Accomplished leader in the nonprofit sector, with emphasis on women and girls, strategic planning, membership and marketing, and board governance.
    
Kathy served as CEO, Girl Scouts of the USA, from 2003 to 2012, providing leadership to the organization of 4 million members and an affiliate structure of 100 regional councils.  At the helm of Girl Scouts of the USA, Kathy led a sweeping transformation of this iconic girl Movement, refocusing the entire national affiliate system on leadership for girls. Results: new leadership focused mission, new leadership program model for girls, modernized uniforms and badges, and a unified marketing and funding campaign raising the voice of girls nationwide. Kathy also led a nationwide restructure of the local affiliates, reducing the number of councils from 330 to 105, creating administrative efficiencies and directing more resources to direct services for girls.  (Kathy served in numerous Girl Scout council CEO positions prior to taking the helm of the national organization).

Her leadership of this dramatic corporate restructure has been featured in numerous journals and books, including Fortune Magazine, Practically Radical (Bill Taylor), Organization of the Future (Frances Hesselbein), Reinventing Strategy (Willie Pietersen), and the Transformative CEO (Robert Reiss).  And she is author of her own book, Tough Cookies, that chronicles her leadership journey with the Girl Scouts. 

After retiring from Girl Scouts USA, Kathy served in key nonprofit board positions, including:

• Vice Chair of the National Council for Research on Women - completed a merger of the organization with the International Center for Research on Women, creating a stronger, more effective voice for women and girls worldwide. 
• Chair of Governance at Nashville State Community College - led a sweeping overhaul of the board of trustees, resulting in a diverse board that reflected the student population they serve.

During her tenure at Girl Scouts, Kathy served on President Obama’s White House Council for Women and Girls, on Dr. Jill Biden’s Task Group on Aid to Military Families, and was named to the Nonprofit Times Power and Influence Top 50 for 4 consecutive years. 

Kathy received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Texas A&M, where she also earned her Master’s Degree in Counseling.  She was the first in her family to earn a college degree, and credits that to her community college experience.

Kathy and her songwriter husband are currently Curators of the Kerrville Folk Festival National Songwriting Competition, that draws 1000’s of entrants annually.