Daisy Alford-Smith
CEO of Girl Scouts of North east Ohio, 66
/ Why she's interesting / Alford-Smith is the ultimate Girl Scout leader — CEO of this 100-year-old organization's Northeast Ohio council, one of the largest of 112 affiliates nationwide. During her five years in the top spot, Alford-Smith has overseen a time of change that has included the merger of five councils and budgetary cutbacks that will merge 14 local camps down to just three. She's ushered in a new era for the region's 40,000 local Girl Scouts, one that's just as focused on girl empowerment as it is on cookies, camping and crafts.
/ No, she was never a Girl Scout /
She gets that one a lot. Alford-Smith grew up in public housing in Farrell, Pa., (just outside of Sharon) and was never exposed to opportunities like the Girl Scouts. But she doesn't see it as a disadvantage now, especially during such a major organizational shift. "Not having had the experience, I wasn't wedded to one thing."
/ Camper life / Alford-Smith's only camping experience wasn't a positive one. "My first husband bought a camper. When we went out camping, living in that little trailer with three little kids, the little toilet, the little pull-out beds, ... I did not like that part of camping."
/ Busy, busy / Not only does Alford-Smith work full time at the Girl Scouts, she's also a full-time grandma to a 15-year-old, lifts weights and walks two to three miles almost every day, and golfs nearly every week in the summer.
/ The new Girl Scouts / "There is no •before' and •after.' It's just adding to the •before.' " Guided by the motto "discover, connect and take action," GSNEO now offers programming in leadership, financial literacy, entrepreneurship and more.
/ Joy ride / The license plate of her GMC Envoy reads GSNEO, which gets her noticed by many a sharp Girl Scout. "I've actually been in the store and had people waiting for me by my car when I came out."
/ Her favorite Girl Scout cookie / Thin Mints. And when she passes Girl Scouts selling their wares at the mall? "I buy. There's no way I could not buy."
