Barbara Fortier is the CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, bringing her proven operations expertise and dedication to championing female leadership development to the organization. Prior to this role and for over 20 years, Barbara served as the COO for GSEMA, and was responsible for overseeing several key functional areas of the council including product program, facilities management, membership, girl and outdoor program, and information technology. She also provides leadership for key initiatives including strategic planning, information security program management, and GSUSA governance requirements.

Barbara has over 35 years of experience in information technology, telecommunications, networking, facilities management, strategic planning, product sales, business process re-engineering, and complex project management methodologies in for-profit and nonprofit environments. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, and earned a Master of Business Administration from the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire.

During this episode, we chat about:

• What Barbara does at Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA)
• How the opportunity came about for her to step into the CEO role
• Initiatives that she has helped to implement since COVID
• How GSEMA has changed throughout time
• The priorities that GSEMA places on mental health
• The leadership skills that girls learn through the Girl Scouts programs
• Exciting programs that will be happening throughout the next year
• Barbara’s advice for anyone looking to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector

And more. Tune into this episode as we dive into all things Girl Scouts, leadership, and mentorship.

Access the full transcript here.

Watch the episode on YouTube here.

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