Girl Scouts of the USA Board Chair Earns National Philanthropy Day Honor

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 27, 2007

CONTACT:
Girl Scouts of the USA:
Michelle L. Tompkins
Phone: (212) 852-5074
mtompkins@girlscouts.org

CRT/tanaka
Lisa Harris
Phone: (212) 229-0500
lharris@crt-tanaka.com

NEW YORK, N.Y. – As she leads Girl Scouting to record increases in Hispanic membership, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) National Board Chair Patricia Diaz Dennis has been honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater New York Chapter for her contribution to changing society. A resident of San Antonio, Texas, and Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for AT&T, Diaz Dennis was among 22 individuals recognized in New York at a luncheon on Nov. 13, National Philanthropy Day.

In the two years since she became GSUSA's first Latina Board Chair, making her the highest ranking volunteer in the Girl Scout Movement, Diaz Dennis has expanded GSUSA's Hispanic initiative and guided Girl Scouting to a 23% increase in Hispanic girl and adult membership. Today, nearly 250,000 Latinas embrace the power and promise of Girl Scouting.

"Patricia lives the Girl Scout core value of honoring diversity, and her deep commitment is ever-present in her work to bring the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to girls from all populations, in all communities. Her work in the Hispanic community has helped open new doors for many, many girls and their parents," said Kathy Cloninger, CEO, GSUSA.

Says Diaz Dennis, "It's hard to imagine that some families in America still have no idea what Girl Scouting is, or the difference it makes in girls' lives. I am energized and humbled to reach out to families with backgrounds like mine and introduce the amazing opportunities that Girl Scouting offers to every girl."

This honor comes as Diaz Dennis and Cloninger together oversee a historic transformation to modernize Girl Scouting and focus on leadership development for girls in the 21st century. The transformation includes establishing new leadership programming for girls, revitalizing the Girl Scout brand, creating new fundraising models, improving volunteer systems, and significantly realigning the national Girl Scout council infrastructure. The monumental changes have been designed to deliver a program that focuses on Girl Scouts' core strength of leadership development, while also offering provable outcomes that benefit girls, families and communities.

About Girl Scouts
Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls with 3.6 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouting is the leading authority on girls' healthy development, and builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place. The organization serves girls from every corner of the United States and its territories. Girls Scouts of the USA also serves American girls and their classmates attending American or international schools overseas in 90 countries. For more information on how to join, volunteer, reconnect or donate to Girl Scouts, call (800) GSUSA 4 U (800-478-7248) or visit www.girlscouts.org.

About the Association of Fundraising Professionals
The New York area chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals is the founding chapter of an association that now represents nearly 28,000 members in more than 190 chapters throughout the world. The AFP works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs, and fosters development and growth of fundraising professionals and promotes high ethical standards in the fundraising profession.

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