Girl Scouts of Colorado’s Thin Mint Dinner
You couldn’t blame her for bragging.
But the truth of the matter is that Stephanie Foote, president and chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Colorado, was simply telling it like it is when she welcomed the standingroom-only crowd that had gathered for the organization’s annual Thin Mint Dinner.
“While some people only think of us as cookies, campfires, badges and friendship bracelets, we know that Girl Scouts are so much more. Girl Scouts are groundbreakers, big thinkers and role models. Giving back is our priority. So is standing up to the challenge, no matter how big or small.”
Her descriptions were illustrated by remarks delivered by Sylvia Acevedo, the new CEO of Girl Scouts USA, and by Emma Albertoni, a Gold Award Girl Scout and 2017 recipient of the Stephanie A. Foote Leadership Prize.
Acevedo recalled growing up in Las Cruces, N.M., where her lifelong love of science began on Girl Scout camping trips where the beauty of the stars, planets and constellations that she saw in the night time sky inspired her to learn all that she could about outer space.
Acevedo went on to become one of the first — male or female — Latinos to receive a graduate degree from Stanford University before starting a career as a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Albertoni, a graduate of Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, has been in Scouting since first grade. She is now a classical violin performance major at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music.
Her Gold Award project was to write a financial literacy curriculum that was implemented in her school and considered by the Jefferson County School Board for district-wide use. Her goal was to better prepare today’s youth for achieving financial success.
The Thin Mint Dinner was the occasion to celebrate the 100th year of Girl Scouting in Colorado and to mark the 20th anniversary of the Women of Distinction program.
Three past Women of Distinction — Maria Garcia Berry, Jean Galloway and Arlene Hirschfeld — chaired the event that was held at the Marriott Denver Tech Center and emceed by Denver7 News anchor Theresa Marchetta.
To commemorate the WOD’s 20th year, the 426 who have been honored since the program began in 1997 were asked to choose seven of their peers for additional accolades.
2002 Woman of Distinction Elaine Gantz Berman, a former member of the State Board of Education, was recognized for Advocacy for Youth; 2003 honoree Juana Bordas, president of Mestiza Leadership International, was named Progressive Community Leader. Arlene Hirschfeld, a past president of the Junior League of Denver and member of numerous community boards, was given the Accomplished Philanthropist award.
2007 Woman of Distinction Jean Jones, former CEO of Girl Scouts Mile Hi Council, was honored for Dedication to Girl Scouts; retired banker LaRae Orullian (1997) received the Lifetime Achievement award for service that includes time spent as national president of Girl Scouts USA.
The president/CEO of Technically Speaking, Inc., Jill S. Tietjen, a Woman of Distinction in 1997, was named the Advocate for Women and Girls while Elbra Wedgeworth, chief government and community relations officer for Denver Health, was honored for Commitment to Public Service. Wedgeworth, a former president of the Denver City Council who played an instrumental role in helping Denver to win the bid to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention, was a Woman of Distinction in 2004.
Rae Ann Dougherty, chair of the Girl Scouts of Colorado board, and chair-elect Kathryn Ambrose were among the guests, a group that included Lt. Gov. Donna Lynne; Sandra Shreve; Carita Watson; Faye Tate; Juanita Chacon; Lee Palmer Everding; Linda Williams; Rose Andom; Lauren Casteel; Lindy Eichenbaum Lent; Elaine Demery Potter; and Judi Wolf, who, with a couple of minor adjustments, is still able to fit into her Girl Scout uniform. Which, of course, she proudly wore to the dinner.