National Board Officers

1. Debra Nakatomi
   International Commissioner and WAGGGS Task Group Chair
   
   
2. Linda P. Foreman
   Secretary
   
   
3. Gwendolyn J. Wong
   Treasurer
   
   
4. Kathy Cloninger
   Chief Executive Officer



5. Patricia Diaz Dennis
   Chair, National Board of Directors
   
   
6. Sharon H. Matthews
   First Vice President



7. Mary P. Borba
   Second Vice President

Debra Nakatomi
International Commissioner and WAGGGS Task Group Chair
Los Angeles, California

Debra Nakatomi was re-elected to the National Board of Directors as a member-at-large in October 2005.  For this triennium, she has been appointed as International Commissioner to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).  In addition, she chairs the WAGGGS Task Group, and serves as a member of the Executive Committee. 

Debra Nakatomi is president of Nakatomi & Associates, a social marketing and public education firm that creates programs on health, education, the arts and environmental issues for corporate, philanthropic, and nonprofit sector clients. A popular presenter on strategic communications and media advocacy, she held positions at the Walt Disney Company, CBS Television, Inc, and in the California legislature. Debra is former chair of the Los Angeles Women’s Foundation and is the current chair of the Asian Pacific Women’s Leadership Institute. She also serves on the boards of the American Social Marketing Association, the Children’s Dental Center, and the Little Tokyo Service Center.  Debra is a former girl member.

Linda P. Foreman
Secretary
Durham, North Carolina

Linda P. Foreman, of Durham, North Carolina was reelected National Secretary of Girl Scouts of the USA at the National Council Session held in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2005 for another three-year term.  

Throughout her life, Linda has never been far from Girl Scouting.  A girl member for 10 years, Linda is a former troop leader, camp counselor, and national operational volunteer, and received both the Thanks Badge and the Thanks Badge II. 

First elected to the National Board of Directors in 1996, Linda served on the Councils Committee as a National Board Liaison, the Steering Group for the National Convention, and the Pluralism Task Group.  Following reelection to the National Board in 1999, she became vice chair of the Councils Committee and chaired the Birthplace Advisory Group from 1999 to 2005.  Linda has been a member of the World Conference delegation and vice chair of the Cadette and Senior Girl Scout Program Advisory Group.  She has held memberships on the Asset and Property Utilization Subcommittee, the Steering Group of the Presidents and Executive Directors Meeting, the Governance Task Group, and the Ways of Work Task Group.  From 2002 to 2005, Linda chaired the Fund Development Committee, served on the Core Business Strategy Gap Team, and co-led the Organizational Structure and Governance Gap Team.  She now chairs the Task Group on the National Realignment of Girl Scout Councils, and the National Board Constitutional Revision Task Group.

Gwendolyn J. Wong
Treasurer
Hillsborough, California

Gwen Wong was elected Treasurer of Girl Scouts of the USA in October 2005. For the 2002-2005 triennium, she served as a member of the National Board and of the National Nominating Committee.

Former girl member Gwendolyn J. Wong has extensive professional experience with major U.S. banks and foreign bank institutions.  Currently, Gwen is a credit risk manager for First Republic Bank, a full service NYSE-traded commercial bank and wealth management firm that specializes in relationship-based wealth management services.  A member of the Executive Loan Committee and Credit Administration, Gwen has responsibilities that include front-end approval for the commercial and private bank’s credit requests, primarily for the New York City and San Francisco Bay Area offices. 
Gwen spends much of her time building, strengthening, and growing the bank’s business banking services. 

Most recently, Gwen was senior vice president and senior credit officer for California Bank & Trust, where she was responsible for approval and oversight of the bank’s Northern California commercial loan portfolio.  Gwen is also active in her local and regional communities, where she has held numerous leadership positions.  Nationally, Gwen is a former national director of leadership development for the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and first vice president of the Association of Junior Leagues International.  Currently, she is vice president of the Legal Advocacy Fund, a national affiliate of AAUW. 

She serves on the United Way of the Bay Area finance committee, and previously was on its board as treasurer and secretary.  Gwen was recently vice president, young women’s program, for the Professional Business Women of California.  She also mentors and coaches for the Financial Women’s Association and Girls for a Change.  A 2001 Honor Pin recipient, Gwen served as first vice president for Girl Scouts of the San Francisco Bay Area and has served on numerous committees involving finance, fund development, and strategic planning.  She is also a council trainer and former National Council delegate.

Kathy Cloninger
Chief Executive Officer

Kathy Cloninger is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the premier leadership development organization for girls. She is a recognized expert on, and advocate for girls' and women’s issues, leading the organization to fulfill a more comprehensive mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. 

Now in its 95th year, GSUSA serves 2.8 million girl members and nearly a million adult volunteers by providing girl-centric programs in science, technology, business and financial literacy, health and safety, and outdoor and environmental awareness. The activities are designed to provide fun and friendship opportunities, and to foster the development of self-esteem in girls of every race, faith, economic status, geographic origin and physical stature. GSUSA is the largest member organization of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which reaches 10 million girls in 144 member countries. 

On her arrival at Girl Scout headquarters in late 2003, Cloninger launched a sweeping transformation of the entire Girl Scout Movement to increase its compelling, contemporary appeal and relevance to 21st-century girls, resulting in the new Girl Scout business strategy that:

• Focuses the Girl Scout program on leadership development and provable outcomes that benefit girls, families and communities;
• Overhauls outdated volunteer systems and widens the volunteer base;
• Revitalizes the Girl Scout brand as the premier leadership experience for girls;
• Builds a culture of philanthropy and models how to raise funds for girls;
• Streamlines corporate structure and governance, and realigns Girl Scout councils into high-capacity, high-performance councils that more effectively deliver the Girl Scout program;
• Champions diversity and pluralism.

Cloninger's 23 years in Girl Scouting include service as CEO with Girl Scout councils in Tennessee, Texas and Colorado; as national management consultant for GSUSA; and as participants with groundbreaking task groups strategizing on girls' well-being. She was an executive grant-maker at the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, CEO of two YWCA branches in Texas, and a career development consultant. 

Cloninger serves on the national boards of American Humanics and the National Assembly of Human Services, and on advisory boards for America's Promise, See Jane, and the National Association of Corporate Boards. She is a founder of Tennessee's Association of Nonprofit Executives. She has received numerous awards, including Nonprofit CEO of the Year 2000 from the Center for Nonprofit Management, and the NCCJ Human Relations Award.

A native of Dallas, Texas, Cloninger got her start as a Girl Scout in her mother's troop. She earned an M.S. in counseling and business management from East Texas State University. She and her husband, Michael, favor country music, and have hosted nearly 350 world-class songwriter concerts at their homes in Nashville and New York.

Patricia Diaz Dennis
Chair, National Board of Directors

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

Patricia Diaz Dennis serves as Girl Scouts of the USA's Chair of the National Board of Directors. As the highest ranking volunteer within Girl Scouting, Diaz Dennis leads the Board in guiding and overseeing the world's preeminent organization for girls' leadership development.

Diaz Dennis is dedicated to diversity and inclusion in Girl Scouting and believes strongly in helping girls become self-confident leaders of their lives. She is helping lead the organizational transformation and revitalization of the Girl Scout Movement through its Core Business Strategy.

She is Senior Vice President and Assistant General Counsel for AT&T in San Antonio, Texas. A three-time presidential appointee, Diaz Dennis worked in the U.S. State Department, on the Federal Communications Commission, and on the National Labor Relations Board. She also served on the Texas State University System Board of Regents and the Texas-Mexico Relations transition team. Diaz Dennis is licensed in California, Texas and the District of Columbia, and admitted to practice law before the U.S. Supreme Court.

As the first Latina National Board Chair, Diaz Dennis is particularly concerned about young Latinas The New York Times labeled "endangered." Statistics show this group is at high risk of dropping out of school, has high rates of teen pregnancy, low self-esteem and leads in suicide attempts. Her goal is to introduce Hispanic families, and those from every under-represented population, to the tremendous benefits The Girl Scout Leadership Development Experience can give their daughters.

The Hispanic Women's Corporation honored Diaz Dennis for the inspirational role she plays in girls' lives on September 14, 2007 with the Latina Excellence Award and MANA – a National Latina Organization which empowers Latinas through leadership development – also named her a 2007 Las Primeras Award recipient for Community Service on October 4, 2007. Diaz Dennis has also received the 2006 Spelman College Legacy of Leadership Award; 2003 MALDEF Corporate Responsibility Service Award; 2002 Cuban American National Council Leadership Award; 2002 San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame Award – Law; 2001 Association for Women in Communications' Public Endeavor Award; 2000 Bexar County Women's Bar Association Belva Lockwood Outstanding Lawyer Award; 1999 San Antonio Women's Chamber of Commerce Corporate Executive of the Year Award; 1999 UCLA Latino Alumni Association Alumna of the Year Award; 1999 National Hispanic Employee Association Executive of the Year Award; and the 1992 Houston YWCA Hispanic Woman of the Year Award. Hispanic Business Magazine named her to its "100 Influentials" list in 1987, 1988, 1990 and 1996 and listed her in the "80 Elite Hispanic Women Directory" in 2002, and in 2004, the Top 25 Elite Women and 2005 Elite Women. Hispanic Magazine named her to its 100 Top Latinas list in 2004 and 2003.

Born in Santa Rita, New Mexico, Diaz Dennis holds a law degree from Loyola University of Los Angeles and an undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles. She and her husband, Michael, are the proud parents of three adult children and one granddaughter.

Sharon H. Matthews
First Vice President
Charlotte, North Carolina

Sharon H. Matthews brings top-level experience to Girl Scouting. With demonstrated skills in team leadership, systems thinking, and communications, she has been instrumental in guiding corporate employee relations, policy development, resource management, organizational development, diversity, and succession planning.

Currently senior vice president and director of workforce policy at Wachovia Corporation, Sharon has responsibility for initiating and driving enterprise-wide workforce policies, including development, implementation, change management, training, and merger integration. Prior to joining Wachovia in 2000, Sharon held a series of director-level human resources positions for IBM Corporation’s global financing organization, its S/390 and worldwide server sales divisions, and its western region for sales and services. Previously at IBM, she was human resources manager for the Charlotte location and led U.S. equal opportunity compliance programs.

Sharon’s professional interests have encompassed participation in Wachovia’s diversity practitioner development program and its human resources diversity council, the IBM global diversity council, and IBM’s global leadership program. A former girl member, she was elected to GSUSA’s National Board of Directors in 2002. Sharon has been chair of the Human Resources committee as well as a member of the Executive Committee. She served on the Core Business Strategy Gap Team. In the community, Sharon is a mainstay of Trinity Episcopal School, where she is a trustee, diversity committee chair, and member-at-large of the executive committee. She co-chairs the program committee of Charlotte Women Executives and is a member of the Crown Jewels chapter of Links, Inc. Her interest in children also prompted participation on the advisory board of the Community School of the Arts and the steering committee for Charlotte’s United Agenda for Children, as well as affiliation with the Charlotte chapter of Jack and Jill of America.

Mary P. Borba
Second Vice President
Stamford, Connecticut

Over the course of her career, Mary P. Borba has made well-defined contributions to the corporate human resources management field. Mary began her career at American Can Company, where she first was an employee relations associate and later the coordinator. From there, she moved to Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, where she supervised the Clairol division’s employment and affirmative action program before managing and later directing human resources for Clairol’s operations division. She went on to direct Bristol-Myers Squibb’s corporate-wide human resources development.

Mary then joined Actmedia, Inc., as senior vice president of human resources, and was responsible for all human resources activities for employees in the U.S. and Canada. In 1997, she moved to Swiss Reinsurance Company, where, as senior vice president, she headed human resources for its Americas division, including North and Latin America. In 2000, Mary took on responsibilities as managing director of human resources of North American operations at Marsh USA, Inc., a division of Marsh & McLennan Companies. In 2002 she became vice president of human resources for Argonaut Insurance Company, assisting the president in bringing about strategic organizational changes to return the company to profitability. She later took on the role of vice president, compensation and benefits, for Boeheringer Ingelheim’s U.S. operations.

Besides her workplace successes in corporate human resources, this former girl member has had a lead role as a continuing member and also vice chair of the Human Resources Committee of GSUSA’s National Board of Directors. In the community, Mary has served as a board member of New Neighborhoods, as a parish music minister, and as the president of a school parents association.