By Lisa Jones, Chief Executive Officer

Wow…my first six months have been a blur, but tremendously fun and exhilarating!  In the last few weeks, we have seen some exciting changes around Girl Scouts – NC Coastal Pines.  Our Fayetteville Service Center has moved to a new location which will increase both our visibility and accessibility. Since our previous lease was ending, we were able to find a space within our budget that offered all that we had before plus a larger meeting space for girl and volunteer programs – hooray!

We also recently signed a contract to begin a water project at Camp Mary Atkinson that will connect us to the Johnston County public water system – which means we will have water at every corner of the camp!   Pieces from the N.C. Museum of History 100^th Anniversary exhibit, At the Speed of a Girl, now decorate the halls of the Raleigh Service Center and Camp Mary Atkinson– please stop by and see it!

Recently, we assembled a task group that was focused on evaluating the programs opportunities we deliver in our southeastern counties.  They have been working diligently to compile feedback and presented a well-thought out recommendation to address issues raised earlier in the year.  In the recommendation, they have identified a number of options for camping and outdoor activities as well as program and training space for Girl Scouts in this area.  The leadership team and Board of Directors will be reviewing the recommendation and our goal is to be able to move forward with more definitive plan in the fall.

This summer, I am joining with our Board of Directors, volunteers, parents and girls to dive further into who we are as an organization, uncover our challenges, identify our strengths, and increase opportunities for girls and volunteers across our 41-county region.  The outcome will be a plan for the next 3 years that will help us further our mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place!

With our mission front and center, we are committed to building a stronger Council – one that will continue to offer extraordinary, life-changing experiences for ALL girls.  As we embark on this strategic learning journey, I know we will build on the successes of the past to make our Council and Girl Scouting stronger across central and eastern North Carolina.

We are committed to providing the programming and support to best serve our girls and adults!  And we know our future is bright!