
Anna Maria Chávez
nonprofit + Latina leader
The first name that usually comes to mind when someone says, "Girl Scouts," is founder Juliette Gordon-Low. But, watch out, Daisy. Anna Maria Chávez is changing that ~ bringing the girls into the spotlight as future leaders. The first Latina CEO of the Girl Scouts started scouting at age 10, and spent her early career in public service. In fact, she didn't know the organization had a CEO until she was recruited to helm the Southwest Texas council. To her, the "face of the Girl Scouts was the volunteer troop leader."
Not anymore. From Girl Scout campouts on the White House lawn to a reinvention of the famous cookies for the digital age, Anna is shaking up the institution ~ and bringing it back to its roots ~ to make sure today's young scouts become tomorrow's world trailblazers.
known for
cookie empire | oversees team responsible for Girl Scout cookie sales, over $800 million in sales annually
STEM advocate | keeping up with the times, is helping re-shape how girls view classes and careers in science, technology, engineering and math
joyous leadership | her loud laugh, her deep compassion {she headed the Arizona state social services "division with the heart"}, her affection for her girls
1970s | while exploring during a Girl Scout campout, Anna was horrified to find graffiti-defaced Native American cave paintings ~ and decided to become a lawyer so she could do something to stop it
2011 | named chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of America, the first Latina to head the organization
2015 | launched digital cookie sales ~ helping girls integrate technology + business skills into the time-honored tradition
from | to
10-year-old Girl Scout | former CEO of Girl Scouts USA {through June 2016}
born on
1968
born in
Eloy, Arizona
birth name
Anna Maria Chávez
nickname
Eagle One {so called by her San Antonio Girl Scouts}
citizen of
The United States of America
grew up in
Eloy + Phoenix, Arizona
educated at | studied with
Yale + University of Arizona Law School
studied
history | international law
married to
Robert
mother of
Michael
advocate for | influenced by | worked alongside
girls, female leadership, social programs | her mother + grandmother | Janet Napolitano
in her spare time
fan of music
tweets
@AnnaMariaChavez
photo credit
Girl Scouts of the USA | © all rights reserved
collapse bio bits"You don't have to wait 20 years to be a leader. You can be a leader now."
How Laughter, Teamwork, and Unplugging Can Enhance Your Career | [2011]
"I got the sense that it was cool to be a girl, that it was a bigger world than I'd thought and that I could do anything I wanted."
Anna Maria Chávez ~ New Ways to be a Girl Scout | may/june 2011
"Too often, nonprofits are viewed as rigid and bureaucratic—less nimble and capable of adapting in this fluid environment than our corporate counterparts. I don't agree."
A New Vision for a New Girl Scouting Century | february 2013
"We are more than cookies, camps and crafts. Our movement is about developing young women into leaders and visionaries, women who will change the world for the better."
A New Vision for a New Girl Scouting Century | february 2013
"Instead of standing rigid against cultural change, we embraced it, flowed with it, and used it as a blueprint to revitalize our brand."
A New Vision for a New Girl Scouting Century | february 2013
"Girls are opting out of leadership positions. Why is that? What are the messages we have to send so they opt back in?"
Makers: Women who make America | april 2013
"There is no bigger challenge, nor greater opportunity, than to lead an organization through a period of transition."
A Movement in Transition | july 2013
"A box of girl scout cookies is not a political statement. It is an investment in a girl and her dreams."
Chavez sets the record straight | february 2014
"For getting my day started, coffee is nice, but a dose of inspiration reminds me that anything is possible, that each day is a chance to make a difference in this world."
My Tech Essentials | may 2014
"We still want girls playing in dirt, climbing mountains, camping."
Leading the way for STEM education for girls | july 2014
"I was put in a column and it was called girls at risk…girls who may not have the opportunity to succeed in life because of their economic situation, because where they were born, what zip code they were living in."
Enterprising Women 2014: Learn to Lead | august 2014
for further reading about Anna Maria Chávez:
curated with care by Meghan Miller Brawley {september 2015}
Girl Scouts
Anna joined the Girl Scouts as a 10-year-old in Arizona ~ she re-joined as an adult, leading the Southwest Texas council out of San Antonio. In 2011, she took over as CEO of the national organization, 99 years after it was founded by Juliette "Daisy" Gordon Low.
Girl Scouts of the USA
© all rights reserved
White House Science Fair
Girl Scouts from Tulsa, OK pose with President Obama at the White House Science Fair. Who says princesses can't be scientists, too? Not Anna ~ she's all about keeping girls interested in STEM.
Pete Souza | White House
Public domain
White House campout
Anna introduces girls to leadership at the highest levels ~ Girl Scouts pitch tents with the Obamas for the first ever White House campout. Complete with all the essentials for camping fun: outdoor skills lessons, campfire songs, and a summer thunderstorm that sent the 5th graders inside the Eisenhower building for the rest of the night.
Amanda Lucidon | White House
Public domain