Six months at the helm of Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson and CEO Kari Rockwell is happily meeting and greeting troops throughout the region. We recently talked with her about leadership, relationship building, and the power of girls to change the world.
Westchester Magazine (WM) First of all, welcome to Westchester! Can you walk us through how you became affiliated with Girl Scouts in a professional capacity?
Kari Rockwell (KR) I was living in Illinois and working in K through 12 education when I was recruited by a Girl Scouts council. I have wonderful childhood memories of being a Girl Scout, and championing female empowerment is a personal mission. The position felt like a natural fit.
WM What specific skills have you developed and strengthened over the course of your career that made you especially right for this role?
KR I’ve learned that honesty, transparency, and clear communication are key to building relationships and establishing trust. Also, as a public facing person, I try to be a positive role model for youth in all that I do.
WM Ok, let’s switch gears and touch on events in the news. About five years ago, Boy Scouts morphed into Scouts BSA, giving girls access to a personal growth and leadership development program that had been reserved for boys only. In your mind, what are the key points of differentiation? Why should girls, well, stick with Girl Scouts?
KR I respect the need for families to make decisions that work best for them and their children. That said, I do believe that Girl Scouts is the best choice for girls. As we often say, there is no one single way to be a Girl Scout, and no wrong way to be a Girl Scout. In addition to traditional troops, Girl Scouts can attend any council-led program they are interested in and go to day camp and sleepaway camp during the summer. GSHH also provides access to specialty troops, including robotics and canoe teams, and even a choir. Girls in grades 6 through 12 can identify a cause that matters to them deeply and come up with a related community service project to earn our highest awards, the Gold Award and the Silver Award. And high schoolaged girls can take part in the democratic process through being a Girl Board Member, or a voting delegate, to have their voices be heard during the decision-making process for both GSHH and the entire Girl Scout Movement. These experiences are invaluable.
WM In your role as CEO, are you able to spend much boots-on-the-ground time with HV troops?
KR Definitely! The girls are a huge priority. Since joining GSHH in October, I have attended 100th anniversary events for the Ardsley and Larchmont-Mamaroneck Service Units, watched our choir, the Dotted Half Notes, perform, and cheered on our Techno Teams in their robotics league. I can’t wait to see our two canoe teams, the Hudson Hurricanes and the Catskill Mountain Canoers, in action this spring.
WM Where do you live?
KR In Mamaroneck with my husband Jason and our dog.
WM Got any already-a-favorite local spots?
KR Wegmans in West Harrison is my go-to grocery store. Art Café in Nyack and Chat 19 in Larchmont are both great spots for a bite to eat. Non-food related, I’ve enjoyed visiting the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye and like to take walks along the Long Island Sound.
WM Back to GSHH, what is your focus going forward?
KR My goal is to build meaningful relationships with our youth and adult members, the GSHH staff, community leaders, and donors. These are the people who make what we do possible and keep it all going. Ensuring that our properties are safe and engaging is also a must. Last but certainly not least, I plan to seek as many new perspectives and ideas as possible to fuel innovation for current and future Girl Scouts.
For more information about GSHH, go to girlscoutshh.org
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