Members at Large
Marion C. Alexander, Hummelstown
Marion C. Alexander has been involved in Girl Scouts as a troop leader for 12 years, most recently leading a troop at the Urban Center. Alexander is a member of the Gold Award Event Committee and was chair of the first Gold Award Event in 1991. She has served on the boards of a number of other community organizations including the United Way of the Capital Region, Whitaker Center, Allied Arts, Susquehanna Art Museum, Goodwill, Family and children’s Services, YWCA, and Dauphin County Library System.
Alexander has received a number of recognitions for her work in the community including the Community Supporter of the Arts Award in 2003, Central Pennsylvania Fund Raising Council Outstanding Volunteer Award in 2002, Alexis de Tocqueville Humanitarian Award in 1997, John Baum Humanitarian Award in 1996, and the Community Child Advocate Award in 1995. Alexander's other activities include being the Director and Past President (1989-1990, 1992) of the Historical Society of Dauphin County, the Director and Development Chairman of the Metro Arts, the Founder and Past President (1985-1986) of the Museum of Scientific Discovery, Past Director of the YMCA, and the former Director of the Mental Health Association.
Alexander received her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Methodist University in 1963 and is currently working on her MBA in Accounting and Personnel Management at Pennsylvania State University. She lives in Hummelstown with her husband. They have four adult children and a grandson.
E. Lee Beard, Drums
E. Lee Beard formed The Henlee Group, LLC (“The Henlee Group”) after more than a decade with First Federal Bank and its parent company, Northeast Pennsylvania Financial Corp. of Hazleton, as President, CEO and member of the Board of Directors. The Henlee Group provides advisory services to businesses and their board and senior managers as they solidify their goals and implement their strategies. She also serves on the board of the Victory Funds – a family of mutual funds with more than $13 Billion in assets. She led First Federal through the conversion from a traditional mutual savings and loan with $250 million assets operating from seven offices to a full service community financial institution providing a full line of banking, insurance, investment and trust services throughout Northeast Pennsylvania with more than $900 million in assets from 19 offices. Beard also served as President and CEO for First Federal Charitable Foundation from its founding in 1998 until 2003. Prior to her relocation to Pennsylvania, she worked in the banking industry in the Washington, D.C. area. Beard is a CPA with experience working for an international accounting firm in their Washington, D.C. office. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina.
Her community and industry boards and memberships have been numerous and previously included Chair of the Board for the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Council. Currently she serves as Vice-Chair for the Penn State University “For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students”, member of the advisory board for Penn State-Hazleton Campus, member of Circle 200 Northeast Pennsylvania Professional Women’s Group and the Women’s Advisory Board for the Girl Scout Council of the Nation’s Capital.
Beard was a Girl Scout in the Washington, D.C. area as a child and a member of that council’s board of directors until she and her husband, Bill, moved to Pennsylvania in 2003. She is a recipient of the Thanks Badge and a 2007 Women of Distinction recipient named by Penn’s Woods Girl Scout Council.
Karen Best, Mechanicsburg
Karen Diener Best has been a Girl Scout, Troop Leader, and a Troop Cookie Chairman. She has served on the Hemlock Girl Scout Council board of directors since 2003 and currently chairs the Fund Development Committee. Best is also very active in the Harrisburg/Carlisle communities. A past president of the Junior League of Harrisburg she is a member of the board of directors of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, YWCA Carlisle, and the United Methodist Home for Children, Inc. She was elected a supervisor in Silver Spring Township, Cumberland County, serving as chairman of the board of supervisors for four years.
Now an educational consultant, Best has 28 years of higher education administration experience. She is a graduate of Dickinson College and Penn State – Harrisburg with a master’s degree in public administration. A widow, she has two children and five grandchildren. Her oldest granddaughter is a fourth generation Girl Scout.
Janice Black, Harrisburg
Janice R. Black is the President/CEO of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (formerly The Greater Harrisburg Foundation.) When she joined the organization as Executive Director in 1994, there were $5.3 million in total assets, two full time and two part time staff. In the intervening years under her leadership, the organization adopted a donor impact model and has grown to be a major flexible philanthropic force in its five county region of Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry and Lebanon Counties. The Foundation now has total assets in excess of $75 million, 14 full time and one part time staff, 680 funds and more than 68 projects benefiting the community, including partnerships dealing with AIDS, homelessness, relations with the gay and lesbian communities and math and science education and early childhood education.
Black is the District Governor for Rotary District 7390 for 2006-07. She has served as a member of the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, Club #23 in all the world of Rotary for the past fifteen years, and was Club President in 2001-02. Over the years, Black chaired the following committees: Vocational, Community Service, World Fellowship, and Harrisburg Rotary Foundation and as a Lane Chair for the District Committees and Projects.
Black has been privileged to serve the community in many ways. She was one of ten delegates from the Harrisburg area to travel to Philadelphia to participate in the Summit for America’s Future under the leadership of President Clinton and General Colin Powell, the forerunner of what is now known as America’s Promise Alliance which works to ensure the well-being of children and youth. Black has also worked extensively to assist nonprofit organizations to build their administrative and managerial capacity and fiscal accountability to better serve their constituents. She works closely with the Mayor of the City of Harrisburg, County Commissioners, state and federal governmental representatives to leverage funds to identify and positively impact critical community needs throughout the region. Black’s ability to forge community partnerships across sectors is well-known.
Black serves as Board Member or Advisor with the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Elizabethtown College Leadership Council, Pennsylvania State University’s Master of Health Administration Program Leadership Council, Council on Foundations Research Committee, Harrisburg Academy Community Advisory Board, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Graystone Bank Community Advisory Board and the Council for Public Education. She is the recipient of the 2006 Mental Health Association of Central Pennsylvania Tribute Award, the 2003 Woman of Distinction Award from the Hemlock Girl Scout Council, The Rotary Club of Harrisburg Community Service Award in 1997, and the Stanley A. Miller Community Service Award for non-Rotary service in 1997.
Black holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and a certification in Psychiatric Nursing from the American Nurses Association. She held a number of progressively responsible positions during her nursing career with the latest being the Executive Director of Edgewater Psychiatric Center. She was recognized for her professional achievements in the Who’s Who of Nursing for five consecutive years.
Catherine (Cappy) Bush, York
Catherine (Cappy) Bush served Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council as a volunteer for many years; including as troop leader, member of the Finance Committee, Board of Directors and as Board President. Bush served on the Council Realignment Committee during the formation of Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. She is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts of the USA and the mother of two Girl Scouts.
Bush is Vice President and Associate Counsel for Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc., which serves central Pennsylvania, Maryland and southern New Jersey through its $13 billion affiliate, Susquehanna Bank, which is based in Lititz, Pennsylvania. She has been a corporate attorney with regional financial institutions for more than 30 years. Bush also serves on the board of Leadership York, where she chairs the Sustainability Committee.
Rodrigo Gereda, Kingston
Rod Gereda has faithfully served Girl Scouts as a life time member beginning with the legacy of Penn’s Woods Council. Gereda served as First, Second, and Third Vice-President and on the Council Realignment Committee, HR Realignment Subcommittee, Bylaws and Policy Revision Task Group and Diversity/Pluralism Task Group. Currently, he serves on the Executive Board.
His extensive community leadership includes programs in Transformational Leadership. He is Chief Mediation Trainer for the Father James Doyle Community Mediation Institute. Gereda provides divorce mediation and family strengthening programs and services. He also serves on the Luzerne County Penn State Cooperative Extension Board as President. Gereda holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Houston. He also helped develop a Community Advisory Network for GSHPA (Girls CAN!). With his wife, Kathy, he enjoys their proudest achievement: their three Girl Scout daughters - Arisa Lucía, Katarina María, and Maria Lucía.
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Donna L. Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAP – East Stroudsburg, PA
Donna Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAP, is a former board-certified pediatrician residing in Northeast Pennsylvania. Currently, she is Chief Wellness Officer and co-owner of Manifest Excellence, LLC. Dr. Hamilton specializes in a holistic wellness approach to health, and speaks nationally on this issue of self-care. Her company, Manifest Excellence, LLC, focuses on a comprehensive approach to health and wellness of individuals and corporations through the awareness of mental, spiritual and physical wellbeing.
Dr. Hamilton has a degree in Sociology from the University of Virginia, and received her Doctorate of Medicine degree from Thomas Jefferson University. She did her Pediatric residency training at the University of Minnesota. After residency, Dr. Hamilton began a career in community pediatrics. This included serving as Director of Adolescent Services for a community health center and Director of a high school based clinic.
Dr. Hamilton also served on the New Jersey State Blue Ribbon Panel on Black Infant Mortality. This panel took an unprecedented look at issues influencing the racial disparity in infant mortality. Many initiatives came out of the Panel's recommendations. One of these is the creation of the Black Infant Mortality Reduction Resource Center (BIMRRC). Dr. Hamilton served as an advisor to the center for ten years.
George King, Lancaster
George King is a retired attorney having worked as Corporate Counsel and Executive Vice President at Dauphin Deposit Corporation. He currently works with RBC Dain as an analyst.
King was active in Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council for 30 years, serving on various committees, including the board and Executive Committee. He was also active on the Council Realignment Committee and Governance Subcommittee.
King's other community activities included member of the board and Executive Committee for the Lancaster County Historical Society and the Hospice of Lancaster County. He also served on the board of Young Life in Lancaster County.
Laura Muia, Archbald
Laura J. Muia, PHR is Director of Human Resources for GUARD Insurance Group, Inc. Her current responsibilities include oversight of GUARD’s Human Resource functions including recruiting, benefits, wellness programs, compensation management, employee relations, payroll and training.
Muia is a graduate of Marywood University and earned her masters degree in Human Resources Administration from the University of Scranton. She holds the Professional in Human Resources designation through the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and is a member of the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of SHRM.
Passionate about Girl Scouting, Muia has held numerous volunteer positions within Girl Scouts, Scranton Pocono Council. She also served as Chair of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts, Scranton Pocono Council and the Council Realignment Committee for Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania. Additionally, Laura serves as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Volunteer in Lackawanna County.
Heidi Nicholas, State College
Heidi Nicholas is active in the management and development of commercial and multi-family residential property in the Centre County Region. Recently completed projects include the Creekside Plaza shopping center, The PennTerra Office Building in Cato Park, and The Palmerton apartment building in State College. She has more than 20 years of experience in investment banking and finance and serves on the board of directors of the Centre County Community Foundation, Pennsylvania Centre Stage and the advisory board of Graystone Bank, in addition to several private company boards.
A resident of State College, Nicholas has three daughters and has been involved in Girl Scouting as a leader for more than ten years. Her youngest daughter is currently a Juliette Scout working at the Cadette level.
Nicholas holds two degrees in Fine Arts from the University of California at Los Angeles as well as an MBA degree in Finance from Cornell University.
Manisha M. Shah-Nahar, Plains
Manisha M. Shah-Nahar holds a BS in Accounting from Herbert Lehman College. She moved from Manhattan, New York with her husband seven years ago. Currently Shah-Nahar volunteers for the following organizations: Wyoming Valley Family Service Association, United Way, Friends of the Hoyt Library, and a Rotarian.
Her past involvements include the Arthritis Foundation as a Board Member and Secretary, American Cancer Society – Pink Ribbon Ball, Secretary and Daffodil Committee, General Hospital of Wilkes-Barre Auxiliary and Junior League. She was a Girl Scout and past board member at Penn’s Woods Council.
Carolyn Warman, York
Carolyn Warman has served as Executive Director at Leadership York since 2000. In this position she works with board and staff members to train and support individuals who have the desire to serve the community in leadership positions. More than 2,100 Leadership York graduates serve in leadership roles with more than 200 nonprofit and public sector organizations.
In the community, Warman serves on the boards of the York Rotary Club and York Nonprofit Management Development Center. Previous board positions have included York Suburban Communities That Care, York County Council of Churches, Junior League of York, Child Abuse Council of York County, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and Focus On Our Future.
She is the winner of the Community Leadership Association’s 2008 Preceptor Award, which recognizes executives for their outstanding communication skills, creativity, trusteeship, strong principles and dedication to the concept of strengthening and transforming communities. She was also named a Fellow in the York Federal Fellows Program in Nonprofit Community Leadership in 2006.
Warman holds a B.A. degree from Gettysburg College and has completed nonprofit leadership courses at Harvard Business School and BoardSource. She was involved in Girl Scouting herself as a girl (achieving a First Class award) and with her daughter. She also participated in Penn Laurel’s Council Performance Assessment process.
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