Girl Scouts of Greater New York Honor Exceptional Women Leaders at Gold Achievement Gala

On Monday, May 6, 2019, the Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY), New York City’s largest and oldest girls’ leadership organization, hosted the Gold Achievement Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street. Money raised at the annual event will support expanding leadership programs for the more than 31,000 girls who participate in Girl Scouts across every zip code in New York City — 70% of whom are from moderate to low-income families.

At the gala, GSGNY acknowledged three New York City women who are outstanding in their respective fields and exhibit the leadership qualities of a Girl Scout. Honorees were presented with Gold Achievement Awards, in celebration of the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award Girl Scouts can earn. The Gold Award recognizes Girl Scouts who demonstrate leadership in designing and implementing an 80-hour “take-action” service project that has a sustainable solution to a real-world problem in their communities and beyond.

The recipients of the 2019 Gold Achievement Award include: Suzanne O. Donohoe, Member & Head of Client and Partner Group and Co-Chair, Inclusion and Diversity Council, KKR; Moira Forbes, Executive Vice President, Forbes Media, and President and Publisher, ForbesWomen; and Mary Fratto Rowe, Senior Vice President, Customer Success Group, Salesforce.

This year’s gala co-chairs wereGSGNY Board Members Sarah E. Cogan and Marty Willis.

All Girl Scout programs are designed to give girls the skills and confidence they need to lead and succeed in the 21st century, specifically in the areas of business & entrepreneurship, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics), and environmental leadership. GSGNY delivers girl-led programming that builds leadership skills and confidence, and empowers girls to be advocates for themselves and others.

In the past year, GSGNY has continued its mission of bringing the Girl Scout experience to girls across the five boroughs, regardless of economic status or demographics. This includes the Girl Scout Access Fund, a new financial aid model to bring Girl Scouting to underserved communities where girls would not otherwise have access to Girl Scouts’ signature leadership programs, free-of-charge. Troop 6000, GSGNY’s first-of-its-kind program bringing Girl Scouting to NYC Homeless Shelters has continued to expand, as had GSGNY’s summer Urban Day Camp, serving primarily low-income communities.