Presentation title:  Girls can do anything!


Debbie Rich is the Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, whose organizational mission is to develop girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. Serving more than 14,000 girls with the support of nearly 2,500 adult volunteers, Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona’s jurisdiction includes Pima, Cochise, Greenlee, Yuma and Santa Cruz counties, and southern parts of Graham, Maricopa and Pinal counties.

Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona is known for its innovative programs in Social Justice, STEM, Health and Wellness, Financial Literacy, and Environmental Education. Debbie Rich joined Girl Scouts as she truly believes Girl Scouts helps every girl discover who she can be and what she can be, wherever she chooses to put her energies.


 
 In 2009, Ms. Rich was appointed CEO for the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona (GSSoAz), after serving three years as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer (COO). During her Girl Scout tenure she has led the development of operational strategy, focusing on sustainable growth, diversity and inclusion, engaging volunteers, and dynamic programs. In particular, she has worked to create a social service delivery model that engages college women in delivering the Girl Scout program to under-served girls, redesigned the Council’s fund development model, secured capital gifts for improvements of Girl Scout properties, and increased the membership across Southern Arizona. Rich also helped found The Partnership for Women and Girls, Girl Scouts’ collaboration with Emerge! and the YWCA to support local leadership training for girls and women.

Prior to joining the Council, Ms. Rich held numerous management positions in the nonprofit world. She was the inter-generational tutor coordinator for OASIS, a pioneer in the field of lifelong learning and successful aging; Program Director at the Volunteer Center where she worked to strength the community through service; and Associate Director of Tu Nidito Children and Family Service, a non-profit dedicated to supporting children impacted by serious medical conditions and death. Ms. Rich also worked at Carondelet Health Network, Southern Arizona’s leading provider of health care services, as a Public Relations and Marking Executive.

Ms. Rich continues her civic commitment working with a number of local non-profits. Rich was one of the founders of Reading Seed Children’s Literacy Program, a literacy coaching program dedicated to helping children in Pima County learn to read. She was instrumental, along with community partners from Resolve Inc., in the formation of the Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona- the nation’s first diaper bank. Rich, along with her husband Bobby Rich, also chaired United Ways Day of Caring. Ms. Rich currently sits on the Board of Honor Flight Tucson and is an active member of Women at the Top.

As a parent of two daughters, Rich has a personal appreciation of Girl Scouting’s positive impact and is firmly committed to helping girls achieve their leadership potential, because when a girl succeeds, so does society.

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