BoardWalk Consulting Helps Recruit New CEO for Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital
May 2, 2024 – Following a nationwide search of more than 250 diverse leaders, executive recruitment firm BoardWalk Consulting has assisted in the recruitment of Kim R. Ford as the new CEO of Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital (GSNC). Director Cynthia Moreland and senior associate Diane Westmore led the assignment. “Kim is an exceptional leader with a track record of nurturing youth and families,” said Barbara Krumsiek, Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital board president and chair. “She’ll be a terrific role model for our 46,000+ Girl Scouts and 30,000+ adult volunteers. Growing up in the D.C. area, she has spent her career focused on creating opportunities through education and volunteer service. She is passionate about youth leadership and gender equity and the perfect person to lead the council into a future marked by continued growth and success.”
Ms. Ford’s extensive career includes pivotal leadership roles such as president and CEO of Martha’s Table, where she successfully raised $17 million annually to advance the organization’s mission and led the nonprofit through the challenges of COVID-19. Before this, Ms. Ford served as acting assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, overseeing $2 billion in workforce development programs.
As a dean of the University of the District of Columbia Community College, Ms. Ford managed programs related to career and technical education. In President Obama’s Administration, she played a crucial part in implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, distributing over $350 billion for economic growth.
In her new position with Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital, Ms. Ford will be responsible for guiding the organization to fulfill its mission. As the organization’s most visible representative, she will balance the roles of leader, fundraiser, manager, community partner, and chief Girl Scout advocate. Ms. Ford will manage with humility, care, compassion and determination. She will work in close collaboration with the board of directors to strengthen GSNC’s ability to deliver meaningful programs while expanding visibility and support throughout the broader community.
“The opportunity for girls to excel and lead has never been greater,” said Ms. Ford. “As the mother of a young daughter, I am honored to lead the Girl Scouts in their mission to welcome more youth of every background into our dynamic and innovative programs—addressing challenges girls continue to face today—and inspire more volunteers to lead troops in the District of Columbia and 25 counties in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.”
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Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital is the largest of the 111 Girl Scout councils in the United States with a total youth and adult membership of 74,740. The council serves a diverse and dynamic membership across the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital is dedicated to empowering girls with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to become leaders in their communities and beyond. Annually, GSNC serves 47,062 Girl Scouts.
Non-Profit Consultants
BoardWalk Consulting, based in Atlanta, is a national executive search firm that recruits CEOs and senior leadership for mission-driven non-profit organizations. Founded in 2002, the firm leads executive searches for clients from across the non-profit sector with global, national, regional, and local missions. Many of the firm’s team members have previously served as non-profit executives, grant makers, and board leaders. BoardWalk Consulting is also an active partner in Panorama, the global network of independent executive search firms.
The League of Women Voters of the United States Retains BoardWalk Consulting to Find New Leader
BoardWalk Consulting was recently retained by The League of Women Voters of the United States in Washington, D.C. to lead in its search for a new CEO. Managing director Kathy Bremer and senior research associate Lysondra Somerville are leading the assignment. Reporting to the board of directors and the League of Women Voters Education Fund board of trustees, the CEO has overall responsibility for leading and managing the organization and advancing its vision and priorities. The CEO will be passionate about the mission of the League, with lived experience and proven success advancing equity, inclusion, and organizational transformation. In addition, BoardWalk Consulting notes that the CEO will have held leadership roles in large, complex, dispersed organizations and be knowledgeable about nonpartisanship, membership, and the context of (c)(3) and (c)(4) organizations.
BoardWalk Consulting was founded by Sam Pettway, a 30-year search veteran. Over his career in executive search, he has worked with hundreds of board members and leadership teams with entities ranging from start-ups to mature multinationals in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. Since founding BoardWalk in 2002, Mr. Pettway has served clients as varied as international relief agencies, national foundations, regional trade associations, and local agencies in dozens of markets.
Ms. Moreland is an experienced non-profit leader with more than two decades of non-profit leadership experience. She has been executive director of four non-profits in her native Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. Collectively, these organizations addressed issues of child and family welfare, community development, educational access, and youth development. Ms. Moreland’s clients at BoardWalk include global non-profit organizations like Food for the Hungry and the Asian & Pacific Islander Health Forum.
Ms. Westmore has over 30 years of search experience recruiting president/CEO, vice president and senior-level executives spanning all functional areas. She joined BoardWalk after 12 years at Spencer Stuart, where she partnered with a broad range of consultants working across multiple practices. Before that, she spent 15 years at Bowman & Associates, a boutique search firm specializing in venture-funded medical technology companies, leaving as a vice president. She began her career at La Crosse Lutheran Hospital/Gunderson Clinic in marketing.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor; Lily Fauver, Senior Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
