For the first time in its 108-year history, a Black woman will sit at the helm of the Girl Scouts of the USA. According to Forbes, Judith Batty was recently appointed as interim chief executive officer of the youth leadership development organization.
For Batty, the appointment is a full-circle moment. She participated in the nonprofit’s programs as a child and in adulthood served two terms on the National Board and most recently served as International Commissioner and member of the Executive Committee. Outside of her work with the Girl Scouts of the USA, Batty has also held an executive-level role at ExxonMobil where she was the first Black woman to serve as General Counsel of the company’s affiliate in Japan. In her new role, she will be responsible for developing strategies to expand the organization’s reach and impact. She succeeds Sylvia Acevedo who served as CEO for four years.
“As families across the country contend with so much uncertainty and upheaval,” Batty said in a statement. “I am committed to ensuring that the Girl Scouts continues to offer shelter in the storm — a place where all our girls feel welcome, can find community, solidarity, leadership opportunities, and fun, despite the challenging moment we are all collectively living through.”
Within the United States, there are over 2.5 million girls that participate in the Girl Scouts of the USA programs. Many of the youth involved with the organization are displaying excellence. Black News reported that a sister-duo from California sold over 20,000 boxes of cookies over the last four years. “Selling Girl Scout cookies is important to us because it allows us to practice the 5 skills that will help our future success, and they are: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills, and Business Ethics,” sisters Makayla and Morgan said in a statement.
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