Our council's governing body is our Board of Directors.

Governance structures are part of every Girl Scout council and are defined by the council's bylaws. Under the leadership of the Board Chair, the board maintains the integrity and purposes of Girl Scouting within the council's jurisdiction.

Board responsibilities include influencing policy regarding council goals, issues affecting youth members, issues affecting the business of the organization, strategic planning, financial oversight and fund development.

Interested in sharing your talents on the GSNYPENN Board? Complete our interest form today! For more information or to schedule a meeting with a board representative, email boardofdirectors@gsnypenn.org.

Board of Directors 2026-2027 toggle arrow

Officers

Board Chair: Tiffany Alvarez Smith, Ed.D., of Liverpool, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

1st Vice Chair: Kathy Burke Barry of Syracuse, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

2nd Vice Chair: Luana Lovenguth of Skaneateles, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Treasurer: Paloma Sarkar of Oswego, N.Y. (Oswego County)

Secretary: Debbie Calkins of Mansfield, Pa. (Tioga County)

Members-at-Large

Judi Dixon of Memphis, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Tamara Harris of Liverpool. N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Michelle McCabe-Szczepanski of Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County)

Amanda Roberts of Baldwinsville, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Kori Perez of Covington, Pa. (Tioga County)

Morgan Prince of Marcellus, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Shawnee Robert of Baldwinsville, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Karen Roth of Stittville, N.Y. (Oneida County)

Faith Vavra of Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County)

Charitee Wright of Whitesboro, N.Y. (Oneida County)

Board Development Committee 2026-2027 toggle arrow

Committee Chair: Karen Roth of Stittville, N.Y. (Oneida County)

Judi Dixon of Memphis, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Tamara Harris of Liverpool, N.Y. (Onondaga County)

Michelle McCabe-Szczepanski of Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County)

Faith Vavra of Binghamton, N.Y. (Broome County)

Board Meetings + Executive Summaries 2025-2026 toggle arrow

2025
May 3: Annual Meeting (Ithaca, N.Y.)
June 21: Board of Directors Meeting
September 13: Board of Directors Meeting
November 22: Board of Directors Meeting

2026
January 24: Board of Directors Meeting
March 21: Board of Directors Meeting
May 2: Annual Meeting (Seneca Falls, N.Y.)
June 13: Board of Directors Meeting
September 17: Board of Directors Meeting

Council Delegates 2026-2027 toggle arrow

Voting members of the corporation (our council) include the Board of Directors, Board Development Committee and Council Delegates. These voting members are convened at our Annual Meeting and special meetings of the corporation to elect our Board of Directors, Board Development Committee and National Council Delegates & Alternates as appropriate, in addition to approving our council bylaws.

Council Delegates consist of registered members age 14+ and adult volunteers elected in their service unit (SU).

2027 SU Delegate Allotment

2026 SU Delegate Meeting Notes
January 26
March 5
April 7

SUs should select their delegates and alternates for 2026 between October 1 and December 31, 2026. Then report selections using this submission form no later than January 15, 2027.

National Council Session (NCS) Delegates 2025-2028 + 58th NCS 2026 toggle arrow

National Council Session (NCS) Delegates & Alternates 2025-2028
On May 3, 2025, at our Annual Meeting in Ithaca, N.Y., voting members of the corporation (our council) elected the following individuals to serve this term and represent our council at the 58th NCS taking place in 2026:

Youth Delegates
Kaitlin H.
Aarohi R.
Rayna R.
Alex S.

Adult Delegates
Kira Reed
Carleen Rhodes
Katie Williams

Alternates
Julie Dale, CEO
Tiffany Alvarez Smith, Ed.D., Board Chair
Kayleigh Stevens

58th National Council Session and Girl Scouts Unite Event Recap + 2029 NCS Location Announced

The 58th National Council Session and Girl Scouts Unite event brought our Movement together for a powerful week of governance, connection, celebration and inspiration. From the delegate discussions to the parade of flags, local dignitary welcome and thoughtful guest speakers, the week reflected the breadth of our Movement and the global sisterhood we are proud to be part of. We were also excited to welcome Telva McGruder as she begins her term as our new National Board President. Her leadership and commitment to our Movement will help guide Girl Scouts into this next chapter.

Highlights from NCS include:

Delegates voted by acclamation to elect the proposed National Board and National Board Development Committee slate for the next triennium. Learn more about them HERE!
The National Council voted to pass the Girl Scout Highest Awards Solicitation of Contributions proposal. This proposal allows councils to establish their own policies and procedures to guide Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes in soliciting contributions for their Bronze and Silver Award projects, in the same way Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors can fundraise for their Gold Award project.
The Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration proposal also passed, allowing the National Board to increase dues by up to 15% within a triennium, with continued input from councils and delegates before any change. The National Council must vote to approve any dues increases above 15% in a single triennium.
Delegates also participated in two discussion topics where they provided important input to the board about how we expand the ways we deliver Girl Scouting to reach all girls and how we build better connections to our communities through belonging and inclusion.

The 59th National Council Session and Girl Scouts Unite will be hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2029.

Resources

GSUSA Blue Book of Basic Documents
GSNYPENN Bylaws
GSNYPENN Board of Directors Member Position Description
GSNYPENN Delegate & Alternate Position Description
GSNYPENN Getting Started as a Delegate or Alternate Checklist
GSNYPENN Delegate Guide
GSNYPENN Fillable Member Proposal
GSNYPENN Service Unit Delegate & Alternate Training Video (Part I)
GSNYPENN Service Unit Delegate & Alternate Training Video (Part II)

Girl Advisory Board (GAB) toggle arrow

Our Girl Advisory Board (GAB) was established to give our council CEO guidance on issues facing girls today. The input and advice provided to the CEO is shared with our Board of Directors and Senior Leadership team. It ultimately sets the direction for Girl Scouting in our council jurisdiction.

Council Finder

Board of Directors & Governance

Our council's governing body is our Board of Directors.

Officers

Members-at-Large