Meet Our Senior Leadership Team
Along with the CEO, GSUSA's Senior Leadership Team guides the organization in the planning, development, and execution of initiatives and resources to benefit a diverse group of girls, volunteers, and staff across the nation—and the world.
Anna Maria Chávez
Chief Executive Officer
Girl Scouts of the USA
Anna Maria Chávez is a lifetime member Girl Scout and an award-winning community leader. Prior to accepting the position of Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA, Ms. Chávez served as Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas (GSSWT). Prior to her leadership roles with Girl Scouts, Ms. Chávez served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Urban Relations and Community Development for the former Governor of Arizona and current U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano. In this position, she promoted the Governor's policies, programs and initiatives through coordination and partnership with City, County, and Tribal Governments, Federal agencies and community organizations. In addition, Ms. Chávez served as the Governor's Policy Advisor to the Arizona Department of Housing and advised the Governor on strategies for coordinating housing and economic development.
Ms. Chávez also advised the Governor on issues impacting the Latino community. She was a catalyst for the creation of the Raul H. Castro Institute which is a "Do Tank" focusing on issues that affect the Latino community in Arizona, emphasizing education, health and human services, as well as leadership and civic participation.
Prior to being appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff, Ms. Chávez served as Governor Napolitano's Director of Intergovernmental Affairs from November 2003 to January 2007. She also served as In-House Counsel and Assistant Director for the Division of Aging & Community Services (DACS) at the Arizona Department of Economic Security. As Assistant Director for DACS, she provided oversight for programs that provided food distribution for the hungry, shelter and supportive services to victims of domestic violence, refugee resettlement services and shelter services for the homeless. She also oversaw the state's adult services programs, which included Adult Protective Services.
Ms. Chávez entered state service after serving as Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Rodney E. Slater. Prior to this appointment, she served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Administrator at the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in Washington, D.C. Anna also served as Chief of Staff for SBA's Office of Government Contracting and Minority Enterprise Development. In this position, she provided direct policy, program, and managerial support to the offices of Government Contracting, Size Standards, Technology, and Small Disadvantaged Business Certification and Eligibility. She also served as an advisor to senior SBA and White House officials on a variety of policy issues including civil rights, affirmative action, minority and small business development, procurement reform, and electronic commerce.
From 1996 to 1998, Anna served as Legal Counsel for the Federal Highway Administration in Washington, D.C. She was instrumental in developing Departmental policies in response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Adarand v. Peña and assisted with the reauthorization of the agency's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program as part of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). She also served as an attorney advisor in the Office of the Counsel to the President.
Lauded for her work in military affairs, Ms. Chávez is a recipient of The Adjutant General's Medal and the Diversity Champion Leadership Award present by the Arizona National Guard. She was presented with the Exemplary Leadership Award by Valle del Sol in 2008 and was named Woman of the Year at the Latina Excellence Awards in 2007. Since arriving in San Antonio, Anna Maria Chávez received the inaugural ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award in 2010 and was inducted into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame in March 2011.
Ms. Chávez holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona, College of Law and a B.A. in American History from Yale University. Bar admissions include U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona, Arizona Supreme Court, and U.S. Supreme Court. She was also appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court's Committee on Examinations, which is responsible for writing, grading and administrating the Arizona Bar Examination.
Florence Corsello
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Business Services
Girl Scouts of the USA
"I believe we are given an opportunity to work hard at work worth doing."
As Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Business Services, Florence Corsello is responsible for GSUSA's business and financial operations including Girl Scout Merchandise sales and operations, GSUSA Finance, Information and Technology, and National Properties. She also oversees financial consulting services to local Girl Scout councils and operations at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, Georgia. Corsello has more than 30 years of financial and business management experience.
Previously, Corsello, a certified public accountant, was employed by Haskins and Sells Certified Public Accountants (now Deloitte & Touche). She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Corsello earned a bachelor of science, magna cum laude, from Brooklyn College and now lives in Park Ridge, New Jersey.
Timothy Higdon
Chief of External Affairs
Girl Scouts of the USA
"I am honored to be part of the Girl Scout Movement. It is a vital and dynamic organization, making a profound and transformational difference in the lives of girls and their families."
Timothy Higdon, Chief of External Affairs for Girl Scouts of the USA, leads the coordinated efforts of the Fund Development; Communications and Marketing; and Public Policy, Advocacy and Research Groups. He has responsibility for the Girl Scouts 100th Anniversary Campaign efforts, and our overall strategy to position Girl Scouts externally as the premier leadership experience for girls.
Prior to his appointment at GSUSA, Higdon served as Deputy Executive Director for External Affairs at Amnesty International USA, where he provided leadership for national and international fund development, communications and marketing, with responsibility for raising $40 million annually.
Earlier in his career he worked as a vice president for CSS Fundraising, during which time he served as Interim Vice President for External Affairs for Episcopal Relief and Development and Interim Deputy Chief Development Officer for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. He also served as a Major in the US Army Corps of Engineers, managing projects and teams across the world, including the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Korea.
Higdon has an MPA (Public Finance) from New York University, Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and a B.A. (Business Administration) from Indiana University, Kelley School of Business. Outside of work, he serves as an Adjunct Professor at NYU's George H. Heyman, Jr. Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising, where he teaches a variety of fund development courses. He has received the NYU Excellence in Teaching Award for his instruction. Higdon is also an Eagle Scout.
Jaclyn E. Libowitz
Chief Administrative Officer
Girl Scouts of the USA
"My longevity in Girl Scouting is based on my unwavering belief in and support of the power, the voice, and the potential of girls. We can read and talk about leadership, but when we listen to the girls and young women of the Girl Scout Movement, we get to see leadership and know it firsthand."
Jaclyn E. Libowitz, Chief Administrative Officer for Girl Scouts of the USA, works closely with the Movement's Chief Executive Officer, and on her behalf, provides leadership, direction, and coordination of resources needed to accomplish GSUSA's mission. She develops and implements plans across the organization in support of the strategic goals.
Libowitz brings a wealth of experience to her role, including her former position as CEO of a Girl Scout council. As a Senior Director at Girl Scouts of the USA, she provided leadership to the council management consultants and spearheaded the development, implementation, and evaluation of a diversity of resources, with a special focus on team building, cultural competency, strategic planning, organizational gap analysis, and community building.
Recognized for her expertise as a management consultant, executive coach, and speaker, Libowitz has worked with clients including Coca-Cola Enterprises, Greater Cleveland Roundtable, Memphis Diversity Institute, University of New Mexico, and Charter One Bank. She has facilitated numerous group sessions focused on personal development with Fortune 100 executives for Schachat and Associates.
Deb Taft
Senior Vice President, Fund Development
Girl Scouts of the USA
"I have the opportunity to help generous people and organizations across the country view girls as a national philanthropic priority. Their support will create extraordinary impact. This work is the privilege of a lifetime."
Deb Taft is Senior Vice President for Fund Development of Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA).
A national leader in the philanthropy and nonprofit arenas, Ms. Taft was appointed in 2011 and charged with building a sustainable and dynamic fundraising operation for the Movement as it celebrates its landmark 100th anniversary and establishes girls as a philanthropic priority for the nation.
Ms. Taft previously led philanthropy, alumnae, and advancement marketing programs for Simmons College and its five graduate and professional schools in Boston, Mass. She also oversaw the Simmons Leadership Conference, now in its 33rd year, as the premiere women's leadership event in the country. Prior to Simmons, she served as vice president for development at Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children, as senior director of development marketing for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, and as chief development and public affairs officer for Concord Academy. She started her professional career in banking at Bank of Boston.
A Harvard University graduate with an MBA from the Simmons School of Management, Ms. Taft has led and served on numerous governing boards and teaching faculties and is a highly regarded speaker, presenter, facilitator, and consultant. Her professional work, consulting, and volunteer leadership in nonprofits has informed her commitment to sound governance and business practices, to strong management, and to a strategic, integrated approach to philanthropy, marketing, and constituent relations.
In addition to being a longtime volunteer for Phillips Exeter Academy, Harvard University, and Simmons College, Taft serves on the national board of governors for the Human Rights Campaign, based in Washington, D.C., and chaired its 2010 and 2011 New England Gala Dinners. She served on the boards of Women in Development and the Cam Neely Foundation for Cancer Care, and was a founding member of the national service organization City Year, now operating in 21 American cities as well as Johannesburg, South Africa; and London, England. She resides in New York City.
Jan A. Verhage
Chief Operating Officer
Girl Scouts of the USA
"I learned my first lessons of leadership in Girl Scouting and work each and every day to make this exceptional program available to all girls."
Jan A. Verhage is Chief Operating Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA, bringing more than 40 years of experience—including 33 years of executive leadership expertise—to the Movement.
Previously, Verhage served as Executive Director of the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC), a position she held from 1985-2010. Under her leadership, the Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital enjoyed unprecedented growth. Membership more than doubled and annual income increased. GSCNC also achieved a national reputation for innovative programs, including the "Young Leaders Program," which trains college students to lead troops in at-risk communities; the GEICO/Girl Scout road safety program for teen girls, along with additional programs that address critical issues such as self esteem, healthy living, financial literacy, and peer pressure. In her role as Executive Director, Verhage oversaw operations for GSCNC, which serves more than 90,000 girl and adult members in the greater Washington region including the District of Columbia and 25 counties throughout Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. She also directed 112 full-time employees and maintained an annual operating budget of $13.6 million.
A member of the boards of directors of City First Enterprises, the Board of Trade, and Goodwill, Verhage is passionate about improving communities. She is a founding member and past chair of the Nonprofit Roundtable and former board member of the Economic Club, the Women's Forum, and Leadership Washington. She has been recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a "Woman Who Means Business" and by Washingtonian Magazine as one of the "100 Most Powerful Women in Washington" and as a "Washingtonian of the Year." She received the "Chair's Award" from the National Conference for Community and Justice, the "Centennial Leadership Award" from Trinity University, and the "Golden Links Award" from the Greater Washington Board of Trade.
Verhage earned a master in business administration from Benedictine University and a bachelor of science in recreation from California State University. She also participated in an advanced studies program in organizational development at Boston University.
Michael Watson
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
Girl Scouts of the USA
"We cannot remain competitive as a nation or solve the country's most challenging problems without tapping the full potential of girls and young women from every segment of our society. I joined Girl Scouts because we embrace diversity and help girls from every background become this country's future workforce and tomorrow's leaders."
Michael Watson, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Diversity, directs the development and implementation of strategies, policies, and programs in the areas of executive compensation, employee engagement and retention, compensation and benefits, diversity, employee relations and executive search for Girl Scouts of the USA.
Prior to joining Girl Scouts in 1999, Watson was a human resources partner for IBM Global Services, where he served as senior human resources strategist for two businesses with combined revenues of more than $2 billion. Other positions he has held include manager-corporate human resources for Time Warner Inc. and manager-staffing and cultural diversity for GE Capital's 7,500-employee Retailer Financial Services business. He was awarded GE Capital's Pinnacle Club for top performance. Before joining GE's Human Resources Management Program, Watson was an IBM marketing representative and received an IBM Golden Circle Award for ranking among the top performers in sales for the year.
In 1997, Watson took a self-financed, one-year sabbatical. He spent part of that year as a volunteer at two public elementary schools in New Brunswick, N.J. At one of the schools, he worked with the principal and faculty to develop education programs for students and developed a pilot tutoring/volunteer program with Rutgers University. Watson has been a business coordinator and volunteer for INROADS, an Association of Yale Alumni delegate, and graduate of Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Canton. Watson is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of the USA and the National Black MBA Association.
Watson is chair of the National Human Services Assembly's Human Resources Council, an association of senior human resources professionals from some of the nation's leading national nonprofits in the fields of health, human and community development, and human services. They comprise 77 organizations that employ approximately 800,000 workers. He is treasurer of the Nonprofit Workforce Coalition's board of directors. Composed of nonprofit organizations, associations, foundations and academic centers, the coalition focuses on identifying and addressing issues facing the nonprofit sector workforce. Watson was the first recipient of the National Human Services Assembly's Spirit of Collaboration Award in June, 2010.
Watson has a bachelor of arts in economics from Yale University and a master of science in organizational management and human resource development from Manhattanville College. A native of New Brunswick, N.J., he was inducted into the 2008 Hall of Distinguished Alumni by the New Brunswick Education Foundation.
