Annual Meeting Workbook 2026

18th Annual Meeting 2026

From the Chair of the Board

Greetings Girl Scouts,

Thank you for taking the time to review this year’s Delegate Workbook in preparation for Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey’s Eighteenth Annual Meeting.

As a leader in our Movement and a voting member of the Council, your dedication to learning, discussing, and shaping our collective future is truly appreciated. Your participation in this governance process ensures that we continue to build a strong, inclusive, and forward-thinking organization one that emboldens girls with the courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place.

This workbook serves as the official call to meeting, which will be held in person on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM at The Ridge in Basking Ridge, NJ. The primary purpose of the meeting is to elect new members to our Board of Directors, Board Development Committee, and National Council Delegation. Inside, you’ll find candidate biographies, along with parliamentary and business procedures.

Your voice and leadership play a vital role in shaping the future of Girl Scouting in our community. By engaging in this process, you are helping to strengthen our mission and create meaningful opportunities for every Girl Scout to thrive.

Thank you for your commitment to this important work! Yours in Girl Scouting,

Assemblywoman Linda S. Carter Chair

Board of Directors

Giddings

Tracey A. Reynolds Term: 2025-2028

Board Development Committee

Dr. Kenyetta Jackson, BDC Chair

Terese Clark, BDC Vice Chair

Jasmin Bethea

Laureen Delance-Higgins

Malika Hogan

Delia Ware-Tibbs*

Natasha Durant, ex officio

*joint member of Board and BDC

National Council Delegation

The National Council Delegation’s term is 2025-2028.

Alternate Delegates

Alison Campo

Emmy Christiansen

Ivonne Droz

Alzahraa Hanafy

Lucia Junkroft

Stacy Plummer

Catalina Villasuso

Anjali Yalamanchili

On my honor I will try: to serve God* and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout Law.

*Members may substitute for the word God in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs. Law

I will do my best to be Honest and fair, Friendly and helpful, Considerate and caring, Courageous and strong, and Responsible for what I say and do, And to Respect myself and others, Respect authority, Use resources wisely, Make the world a better place, and Be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

Annual Meeting Basics

Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, Inc. (GSHNJ) is a not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey, referred to as “Council.” The Council’s responsibilities, eligibility requirements, composition, size, and how and when its meetings are held are outlined in Bylaws of Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, Inc.

The Council convenes each year to

• Elect officers and members of the Board of Directors and Board Development Committee.

• Elect, triennially, GSHNJ’s National Council Delegation.

• Change or amend the Bylaws as needed.

• Receive reports of the Board of Directors.

Composition

Individuals age 14 and older who are active members of the Girl Scout Movement and are currently registered at Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey are eligible to be members of the Council.

Voting members of the Council consist of

• Elected members of the Board of Directors.

• Elected members of the Board Development Committee.

• National Council Delegates, except the CEO.

• Service Unit Delegates.

Delegates

Each service unit may elect or select up to two delegates and one alternate. Service Unit Delegates serve two-year terms, with a maximum of three consecutive terms, followed by a required one-year hiatus. Terms and term limits for alternates are determined by each service unit. Delegates and alternates are expected to be active members of their service unit leadership team, supporting meaningful participation in GSHNJ governance and informed decision-making.

National Council Delegates are elected every three years and represent GSHNJ at the triennial National Council Session and any Special National Council Sessions hosted by the National Board of Girl Scouts of the USA. They serve three-year terms and are voting members of the Council throughout. The number of delegates is determined by GSUSA, as outlined in the Blue Book of Basic Documents.

Annual Meeting Basics

Preparation for Annual Meeting

Every voting member of the Council should be prepared to fulfill their responsibilities at the Annual Meeting by:

• Attending service unit team meetings and participating in council-wide networking opportunities.

• Regularly attending monthly staff-led Service Unit Team webinars and engaging with the Service Unit Delegate Rally.

• Understanding the purpose of any GSHNJ governance events hosted throughout the year to participate in the decision- influencing process.

• Studying the parliamentary procedure that will be in effect during the meeting and becoming familiar with Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, 12th Edition.

• Reviewing and discussing with your constituency, proposals and other items that require action by voting members of the Council.

During Annual Meeting

Voting members will discuss and make decisions on topics of great importance and on which members of our community hold an array of perspectives. There are a number of things we can do, as Girl Scouts, to embody the values established in our Promise and Law. Specifically, each Girl Scout can:

• Assume good intent.

• Pause to think of what we would like to convey before we speak.

• Listen carefully to each speaker, trying to understand their perspective, even if we don’t hold that same perspective.

• Ask questions when we don’t understand something.

• Consider sharing why this issue or policy item is important to us.

• Know that our body language conveys a message, even when we are not sharing verbally.

• Frame differences as “differences of ideas or perspectives” rather than toward someone personally.

• Consider if the point you plan to make has already been made by another speaker. If so, consider whether restating the point is necessary to further debate, or whether you could make room for speakers with new ideas to offer.

Our diversity is our strength, and when each person can share their ideas while being treated with respect and dignity, it creates a productive experience that models our shared values for one another and the young people around us.

Following Annual Meeting

Each voting member is responsible for reporting to their constituency on the discussions held, decisions made, reasons for those decisions, and all they learned about Girl Scouting as a local, national, and international movement.

Service Unit Delegates and Alternates can contribute to the governance process throughout the year by being active participants in the Service Unit Delegate Rally and sharing information with their communities as appropriate.

Meeting Agenda

Required Action Items

At the Eighteenth Annual Meeting, the Council will adopt:

• Credentials Report

The credential report is the official roll of voting members. The business of the Annual Meeting can not proceed until quorum is met. Quorum is met when 33% of the voting members of the Council are present provided that a majority of the service units that have elected delegates are represented by at least one delegate. In 2026, 37 of 60 service units have active delegates.

• Standing Rules

To ease the flow of the meeting, proposed standing rules are:

• Repetition of discussion will be ruled out of order, and

• Debate on all pending matters is limited to three minutes per speaker.

These rules will be open for discussion, followed by a vote to adopt them. Should adoption fail, debate on pending matters will revert to 10 minutes per speaker.

• Program

The schedule of proceedings, including the sequence of business items, is:

9:00 AM Check-in, Credentialing, Networking, & Breakfast

9:30 AM Opening Ceremony & Welcome

9:40 AM CEO’s Stewardship Report

10:00 AM Mission Moment: North Branch Advisory Group

10:15 AM Call to Order

• Credential Report

• Adoption of Agenda | vote

• Adoption of Standing Rules | vote

• Approval of Minutes from 17th Annual Meeting | vote

• Presentation of Nominees | vote

• Break

• Mission Moment: Union Little House

• Board Chair Report

• Mission Moment: Adaptive Girl Scouting

• National Council Delegation Report

• Finance Report

• Mission Moment: Robotics Mentors

• Oath of Office

12:00 PM Adjourn

All times are estimates and are subject to change.

Board of Directors Nominees

New Members-at-Large | Term ends at 2029 Annual Meeting

Renée Jones is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Red Hills Consulting Group, a boutique management consulting firm that partners with growth-stage nonprofits, foundations, and impact-driven enterprises to strengthen strategy, governance, and execution as they scale.

With leadership experience spanning global organizations including Publicis Groupe, Pfizer, Revlon, Deloitte, and PwC, Renée has led complex, multimillion-dollar portfolios across life sciences, healthcare, and consumer sectors. She is known for aligning stakeholders, strengthening operating models, and translating strategy into measurable outcomes.

In addition to her corporate work, Renée is deeply engaged in the nonprofit sector. She serves on the Board of Tanzania Development Support, where she leads strategy and evaluation efforts to advance educational access in rural communities.

Renée holds an MBA and MS in Financial Management from the University of Maryland and a BBA in Accounting from Howard University. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

Charlene Messer is a human services and public administration professional with extensive experience in juvenile justice, community engagement, and youth development. She currently serves as Assistant Program Director at Youth Advocate Programs, where she supports a $900K anti-violence initiative, oversees staff supervision and training, and ensures program quality and compliance while delivering trauma-informed services to at-risk youth and families.

In addition, Charlene is a Nutrition Education Facilitator with Elegant Bouquet Kitchen, where she designs and leads culinary and wellness programs, develops curriculum, and mentors youth and interns in workforce and life skills. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant to the Mayor in Irvington, NJ, where she managed constituent services, coordinated community initiatives, and supported municipal operations.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from Kean University and maintains multiple certifications in nutrition, food safety, and community education.

Board of Directors Nominees

New Members at Large | Term ends at 2029 Annual Meeting

Lauren Reaves is a Global Culture & Inclusion and HR professional with a scientific background, specializing in strengthening organizational culture, advancing belonging, and driving measurable inclusion outcomes.

At Regeneron, Lauren serves as an Inclusion Business Partner supporting the Regeneron Genetics Center, where she advises on inclusion strategy, leads leadership enablement programs, and builds internal and external partnerships. She has launched mentoring and engagement initiatives, improved belonging metrics, and mobilized cross-functional teams to advance inclusive science and community trust.

Previously, Lauren led diversity, equity, and inclusion programs impacting over 2,000 employees, co founded an employee resource group, and designed scalable inclusion learning experiences. Her earlier career in research operations and laboratory science spans biotechnology and academic institutions, where she supported preclinical studies, technology implementation, and crossfunctional workflow optimization.

Lauren holds a Master of Science in Clinical Trial Management from Rutgers University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Morgan State University.

Candidates for the Board of Directors are carefully evaluated for their dedication to Girl Scouting, prior leadership experience, strategic thinking, and commitment of time, expertise, and financial support. They are chosen for their deep understanding of our communities and the diverse perspectives they bring to advance our mission.

BDC Nominees

New Members | Term ends at 2028 Annual Meeting

Renée Jones will become a joint member of the Board of Directors and the Board Development Committee.

Jessica Viotto is a Senior Vice President and Treasury Management Officer with PNC Bank, serving the Central New Jersey region. A PNC Certified Women’s Business Advocate, she specializes in commercial treasury management, using a diagnostic, data-driven approach to help clients optimize performance and navigate ongoing digital transformation.

With more than 25 years in financial services, Jessica has held roles at First Union, Wachovia, Wells Fargo, and PNC, where she joined in 2011. She has earned numerous honors, including multiple Market All Star and Circle of Excellence awards, and was recognized as a Top 25 Leading Women Intrapreneur.

A passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, Jessica founded PNC’s NJ Women Connect Employee Business Resource Group and currently chairs the NNJ Regional Inclusion Council. She is also an active community leader, serving on the Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey Board and as the Fund Development Committee chair, and previously spending 11 years on her local Board of Education, including terms as Vice President and President.

The Board Development Committee identifies and recruits top talent to strengthen GSHNJ’s governing bodies, including the Board, the Board Development Committee, and the National Council Delegation. Working closely with the Board, it leads orientation and ongoing, mission-driven education to ensure new members are prepared to lead and advance our mission.

Appendix

Voting Council members must attend the Annual Meeting. Pre-register on our website; this video guide you through the online registration system. For additional preparation tips ahead of the April 18 meeting, review this document.

Here are several relevant governance documents voting members of the council should become familiar with prior to the meeting:

• GSHNJ 17th Annual Meeting Minutes

• GSHNJ 2025 Impact Report

• GSHNJ Bylaws, revised Jan 2025

• GSHNJ 2025-2027 Strategic Plan

• GSUSA Blue Book of Basic Documents

Appendix

Parliamentarian

The business portion of the Annual Meeting will follow Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised. An official parliamentarian will oversee and interpret parliamentary procedure. Michelle Bobrow will serve as Parliamentarian for this meeting, monitoring proceedings, advising on proposal parameters, and ensuring proper protocol. All points of order will be referred to Ms. Bobrow.

Voting

Votes will be taken by a show of hands during the meeting. Election monitors will count votes in person, and this will be the only voting method. Unless otherwise provided by the parliamentary authority, all matters will be decided by a majority vote of the voting members present.

GSHNJ Media Girls are Color Guard and Election Monitors

Oath of Office

Color Guard

Neha Arunkumar

Anneke Discher

Jasmine Powell

Cassandra Shapteban

Maya Shapteban

Peyton Washington

Election Monitors

Neha Arunkumar

Anneke Discher

Violet Kafarski

Olivia Mulcahy

Cassandra Shapteban

Peyton Washington

Each year all members of the Board of Directors and Board Development Committee are asked to commit themselves to the work of the Girl Scout Movement and dedicate themselves to the continuing advancement of Girl Scouting.

“I do solemnly accept the responsibility and privilege of serving Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey in the position of _____ that I now assume. And do most solemnly pledge that I shall dedicate myself to maintaining the principles and purposes of Girl Scouting as conceived by Lord Baden-Powell and carried on by the founder of Girl Scouting in our own country, Juliette Gordon Low. This is my pledge, freely given.”

Appendix

58th National Council Session | Washington, DC | July 20-22, 2026

Every three years the GSUSA National Board convenes the National Council, bringing together delegates from councils nationwide and USA Girl Scouts Overseas to discuss, debate, and vote on key issues and elect national leaders for the next triennium. GSHNJ’s eleven delegates are preparing to deliberate the three proposals below. Deletions appear with a strikethrough; additions appear in bold color.

Proposal 1 Girl Scout Highest Awards Solicitation of Contributions

Amend the first paragraph of the SOLICITION OF CONTRIBUTIONS part of the Policies Section of the Blue Book of Basic Documents:

“Adult members in their Girl Scout capacities may not solicit financial contributions for purposes other than Girl Scouting. Adults may engage in combined fundraising efforts authorized by the Girl Scout council and in which the local council is a beneficiary. Girl members may not engage in any direct solicitation for money except girl members for Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors, who may solicit philanthropic donations to their councils of cash or in-kind goods for Girl Scouts Bronze, Silver, and Gold Award projects, provided they have secured prior written permission from their council’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Development Officer, or their designee.

In addition, girls must abide by their own council’s policies and procedures with regard to this matter.”

Proposal 2 Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration

The Credentials Section of the Blue Book of Basic Documents, Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration be revised as follows:

“The National Board of Directors must obtain approval from the National Council whenever a planned dues increase will result in dues increasing more than a total of 25% 15% in any one triennium.”

Proposal 3 Preservation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience Relating to the

Entrepreneurship

Program

Amend the GIRL SCOUT TRADEMARK section of the Blue Book of Basic Documents by adding the following:

“GSUSA, along with its alliances and relationships with corporations and businesses, shall not sell, license, or otherwise provide for sale any food product bearing the Girl Scout name or service mark when related to the flavors, branding or likeness of Girl Scout Cookies during the designated entrepreneurship program sales period of any Girl Scout council.”

Appendix

As our representatives at NCS, our National Council Delegation is seeking your input to help guide their votes on the three proposals before the National Council. Watch these short videos from each originating council and come to the Annual Meeting informed and ready to engage in discussion.

Proposal 1 Girl Scout Highest Awards Solicitation of Contributions

Submitted by Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania + 40 additional councils

National Board’s recommendation: neutral

Proposal

2 Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration

Submitted by Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana + 41 additional councils

National Board’s recommendation: oppose

Proposal 3—Preservation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience Relating to the Entrepreneurship Program

Submitted by Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland + 25 additional councils

National Board’s recommendation: oppose

Have more to say about the proposals? Attend one of these 45-min virtual Town Halls: Wed, April 22, 7:30PM Tue, May 5, 7:30PM Sat, May 16, 11:30AM

Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Summary

Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Summary

GSHNJ’s Service Units

In 2025, GSHNJ served 23,103 members throughout Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Somerset, Union, southern Warren, and parts of Middlesex Counties.

These counties are organized into 60 service units managed by teams of administrative volunteers who are leaders in these communities.

Service Units with an * are represented by at least one voting delegate.

Union City, Weehawken, Guttenberg, West NY, North Bergen, Hoboken