National Board Chair's Statement on Diversity

I am privileged to be the first Latina Chair of the National Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of the USA and honored to introduce the amazing benefits our Leadership Development Program gives girls from diverse communities. As American society experiences a widespread population shift, this is a critical time to reestablish Girl Scouting as indispensable to the success of each girl who participates.

Girl Scouts’ diversity philosophy reflects my belief that there is always room at the table for anyone who should be there, and if there are not enough chairs, we will get more. At National Board discussions on Girl Scouts’ future direction, we make sure all voices are heard and all viewpoints considered before reaching a decision. The individuals on the National Board bring a plethora of experiences and backgrounds to the table, and I am grateful for this diversity because our decisions are better for it.

We work very hard to uphold our core value of inclusiveness. While we know Girl Scouts of the USA is ahead of many leading organizations and companies worldwide, we also recognize that we, like every organization, always have more work to do.

Do we need to improve our diversity efforts? Yes.

Are there steps we can take to become a more inclusive organization? Of course.

Are we willing to do more on both fronts? You bet.

By keeping diversity and inclusiveness as top priorities in every single decision we make, we will continue to further our mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character so they can become leaders. I hope you will join us.

Patricia Diaz Dennis
Chair, Girl Scouts of the USA Board of Directors