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Meet the new CEO of Girl Scouts of Citrus

Maryann Barry, New CEO of Girl Scouts of Citrus

Girl Scouts of Citrus is pleased to introduce its new chief executive officer, Maryann Barry, a seasoned veteran in not-for-profit leadership and advocate for the healthy development of youth. After more than 25 years experience in the non-profit sector, most recently serving as president and CEO of The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Volusia and Flagler Counties, Maryann is looking forward to leading the council as Girl Scouting prepares to celebrate its centennial.

Q. Why did you decide to pursue the CEO position at Girl Scouts of Citrus?

The Girl Scout mission is near and dear to my heart and Central Florida is my home. Nothing is more important than investing in our community’s children. I was very excited when I saw the position announcement and sent my resume off within minutes! The young girls we invest in today will be the strong women leaders of tomorrow. I can think of no better way to spend my time and energy.

Q. What do you feel are the greatest assets you have to offer to Girl Scouts of Citrus?

First and foremost, my passion and enthusiasm for the mission, I believe in the goals and the vision, and honor the history. I also have a strong and successful not-for-profit business background with a focus in programming designed to improve quality of life for children and women. I understand what it takes to translate vision to reality and believe with every fiber of my being that we all have the power within us to make a significant difference in our communities. My core values have guided my career choices since day one, and have developed the passion, vision, enthusiasm, and experience that I will to draw upon as we strive to make Girl Scouts of Citrus the very best.

Q. Have you been involved with Girl Scouting before now?

I did not have the opportunity to be a Girl Scout as a child, but I am a Girl Scout Mom. My daughters, who are now grown, were involved in Girl Scouts at various levels from Daisy to junior camp counselor. The girls still sing their favorite Girl Scout songs when we are all gathering in the kitchen to bake during the holidays!

Q. What are your first priorities for Girl Scouts of Citrus?

I have three top priorities as I enter my journey with Girl Scouts of Citrus. My first priority is to listen and learn—to listen to the needs and ideas of our volunteers, our staff members, and most importantly our girls. This input will help me greatly as I set direction and priorities for the Council. My second priority, which will be happening at the same time as the first, is to enhance GSC visibility and relationships in all of our counties. The Council’s relationships with our volunteers, participants, and community partners are essential to our success. My third priority, which is closely related to the two prior, is to advance the Council toward the goals outlined in our Strategic Learning Plan.

Q. Can you share your vision for Girl Scouts of Citrus?

I would like to see GSC become a household name in the counties we serve; a name that is synonymous with quality and progressive programs for girls; a name that is synonymous with community service; a name that is synonymous with FUN for girls while they are learning the skills necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow. This Council has the capacity to be an awesome beacon of hope and inspiration to girls and women in our community, and I intend to do all in my power to lead us to reach our maximum potential.

Q. What other changes will we see at Girl Scouts of Citrus?

I would like to start by saying that I have found the staff and volunteers I have met to be nothing less than AMAZING. For that reason, I am cautious to get carried away with “change” just because I am new. It is always tempting to come in and launch a bunch of new ideas when you are the new kid on the block…and I do have a lot of ideas I am eager to share! However, I must first listen and learn to see how those ideas can be best implemented, and honor the input of those who have wisdom and knowledge to share. Balance is the key to success and I have much to learn about what this Council really needs from me in order to create a balanced plan of action. Though I can tell you one thing that is going to change right off the bat…and that is the presence that GSC will have in our service communities. I intend to get out there and mix it up—I am no wallflower as you will soon see! I hope to inspire and intend to foster creativity and positive energy among everyone involved with the Council. My favorite motto is from the old Rosie the Riveter campaign: “We can do it.” You can expect to hear that phrase and “you rock” echoing in the halls daily.

Q. What extracurricular activities do you enjoy?

I enjoy spending time with my family—especially my grandchildren, they are the best! I also enjoy volunteering with Special Olympics and Relay for Life, golfing (badly, I must confess), hiking, most sports, going to the Disney parks, and my favorite pastime—travel. I have been blessed with the good fortune to live and travel throughout the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

Q. What is your favorite way to wind down after work?

I would love to say I go for a three-mile walk everyday or something that sounded healthy. But, truthfully, as embarrassing as it may be to admit, I love to sit on the couch and play on the iPad for 20 or 30 minutes to decompress. Let’s face it, whoever invented Angry Birds was a genius! I have made myself feel better about this by asserting that it is a mental exercise in vectors and trajectory versus the simple satisfaction of knocking stuff down. :lol: See, CEOs play Angry Birds too—and the life lesson for our girls here is that you are never too busy or too old to have a little good old fashioned fun!

Welcome Maryann!

Welcome to Girl Scouts of Citrus Council

Girl Scouts of Citrus Council is a not-for-profit organization organized in 1956 – following the founder Juliette Gordon Low’s guidelines – serving girls throughout Brevard, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties since 1956.

In Girl Scouting positive female leaders are the norm, not the exception. We help nearly 17,000 girls a year in the Central Florida area to be their very best!

The council is a charter member of Girl Scouts of the USA – the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls – all girls – and a member of the following United Ways:

Girl Scout Mission

Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Our Winning Proposition

Girl Scouts of Citrus Council provides a safe all-girl environment where girls make friends, have fun, and develop to their full potential through girl-led programming.

Our “Winning Proposition” statement was a result of months of work by dedicated volunteers, community partners and staff. During the summer, these wonderful folks who care deeply about the future of Girl Scouts and our Council dedicated uncountable hours in a process known as Strategic Learning. This process was developed by William Pietersen, professor of management at Columbia University College of Business. It was adopted by GSUSA as they continue working to ensure the future of Girl Scouting and now, we too, have participated in this process. Our volunteer Board of Directors launched the process by identifying the five key areas they believed need to be our focus for the next three years, then a task force of twenty five leaders worked to fully develop the ideas presented by the board. Their work included extensive research in the community and in the Council. After they reported the results of their research, and we could identify our current status, the task force worked to vision our future. It was this work that produced the statement that we call our “Winning Proposition.” This is who we believe we are, who we want to be and who we believe we need to be to provide the best possible Girl Scout experience to all the girls in our six counties now and in the future. However, our work is not yet complete. The next step was to identify the five areas that most need our attention in the next three years. The task force selected these key priorities:

Communication: Develop clear strategic communications that incorporate key messages and build satisfaction with all our stakeholders.
Brand: Our brand is our promise to our stakeholders. Anything tied to that brand needs to reflect our promise, elevate the perception of Girl Scouts, and be protected.
Funding: Increase and diversify contributions from individuals – particularly women – and corporations, while continually deepening our relationships with strategic partners.
Program: Provide leadership programs that are relevant to a girl’s life, help her develop friendships, and ensure she reaches her full potential.
Infrastructure: Change infrastructure to more effectively meet priorities of delivery of service and programs and to ensure effective communication.

Our Girl Scout Culture and Core Values

Girl Centered
Girls are at the center of everything we do.

Inclusive
We build and maintain an environment in which diversity is represented and valued.

Aligned
We are interdependent and collaborative across all teams and the Girl Scout movement. We are empowered. We take risks to fulfill our mission to serve girls.

Accountable
We hold ourselves and each other responsible for our work and relationships. We are committed to excellence. We are honest, trustworthy, and respectful.

Innovative
We are creative, innovative, learn continuously and have fun together.