January 24, 2024
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts CEO Barbara Fortier Announces Retirement
Media Contact: Stacy Wilbur
(Waltham, MA – January 24, 2024) — After 23 years of dedicated service, Barbara Fortier, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA), has announced her retirement, effective June 2024.
As the CEO of GSEMA, Barbara has been an exceptional leader, guiding the organization with a steadfast commitment to empowering young girls and fostering leadership skills. Her visionary leadership has significantly contributed to the growth and success of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.
“Working at the Girl Scouts has been rewarding and has been so much more than a job – it has been my passion and has fulfilled me on many levels,” stated Barbara. “The last three years as the CEO, have provided me with significant opportunities to enhance my own leadership skills which is in concert with GSEMA’s mission to provide leadership development for all girls.”
During her tenure GSEMA, which included 20 years as Chief Operating Officer, Barbara played a pivotal role in leadership stability, transparency and integrity which was critical in maintaining staff and council operations. Upon taking on the role as CEO, Barbara orchestrated a sweeping reorganization of Council functions and staff to address gaps and to realign resources to meet the changing landscape. She also implemented a succession plan to ensure advancement pathways for staff as well as to provide successors for key roles. One of her key areas of focus was mental health initiatives due to huge spikes in mental health concerns among staff, volunteers and girls during the pandemic.
Reflecting on her time as CEO, Barbara shared, “I could not be prouder of what staff, volunteers and our awesome girls accomplished during the challenging period of the pandemic as well as how we collectively moved ahead in the last year. I am so grateful to have had the privilege of leading this organization and I am fully committed to working with board members to ensure a smooth leadership transition.”
“Our Board of Directors is thrilled for Barbara to launch into retirement adventures after so many years of dedicated service to our Girl Scouts,” said Board Chair and President of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts Deb Taft. “We are so thankful for her tireless work to move the council forward through the pandemic, to sustain our strong financial and operational position, and to bring leadership stability while ensuring a consistent focus on our girls and volunteers. Barbara's efforts enable us to envision an inspiring new leadership era for GSEMA.”
GSEMA will embark on a search for a new Chief Executive Officer to continue the legacy and drive the Girl Scouts' mission forward. Kelly Corwin, First Vice Chair of the Board, will lead the Transition Task Force and search effort on behalf of the Board of Directors. The Transition Task Force is currently working to select a firm and launch the formal search process.
For more information on Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts, please visit www.gsema.org, or follow their social media channels, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, for the latest updates on the organization.
About Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts
Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts (GSEMA) is 30,000 strong, with 20,000 girls and 10,000 volunteers in 178 communities in eastern Massachusetts, building girl scouts of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. GSEMA is the largest girl serving organization in Massachusetts and the 10th largest Girl Scout council in the United States. Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, join, or learn more, visit gsema.org.
