Girl Scouts of WNY leader to retire
Press Release, Girl Scouts of WNY
Judith Cranston
Earlier this fall CEO, Judith Cranston shared with the Girl Scouts of Western New York board her intention to retire in 2019. It is with deep gratitude and appreciation that we thank Judith for all she has done for GSWNY. After nine years it has been an honor to have Judith lead the council, first as chief operating officer and then chief executive officer for the past 3 1/2 years. Judith will be greatly missed.
“It has been an honor to work for this organization,” Cranston said. “The entire Board has supported me throughout my tenure as CEO and I truly appreciate that support. It made for an extremely rewarding time as CEO. I will leave GSWNY thankful and with fond memories. I also leave feeling a sense of accomplishment in that as a team we have delivered budget surpluses each year, a fully implemented C.E.I. initiative, a girl membership increase and increased fundraising year- on-year. I also leave with the confidence of knowing there is a strong and capable GSWNY staff of leaders who are in place to work alongside volunteers, donors, stakeholders and our WNY community to carry out Girl Scouts’ mission.”
“In keeping with the Girl Scout philosophy, planning and preparation are key during this transition process said,” Lettie Chilson, Board Chair of Girl Scouts of Western New York. “We are pleased to share that the board of directors voted unanimously to appoint Alison Wilcox as our next CEO. A formal handover of Judith’s duties will be complete in January 2019. The future of Girl Scouts of Western New York under Alison’s leadership will bring a wealth of new energy and new ideas to the table. This is a very exciting time for Girl Scouts and we’re confident the positive momentum will continue.”
Alison Wilcox
Wilcox is a dynamic leader with 17 years of global experience in organizational leadership encompassing program development, membership, volunteerism, recruitment, education, fundraising, camp, technology, and organizational effectiveness. She has served nearly a decade of her career working in various executive functions within Girl Scouts at both the local and national levels. Over the past three years as GSWNY’s COO, Alison has built strong relationships with the organization’s senior leadership team and staff. Alison is fully ready to take the helm and hit the ground running.
“As a proud alum, and lifelong champion for girls and women, it will be my honor to serve as the next CEO of Girl Scouts of WNY,” said Alison Wilcox, COO of Girl Scouts of Western New York. “I look forward to partnering with our staff and volunteers in our mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place and to prepare the next generation of women leaders.”
Girl Scouts of Western New York thanks the community for its support as it continues to provide the best all-girl, girl-led leadership development experience for girls in the world. For girl and adult volunteer membership information, visit gswny.org or call 1.888.837.6410.
Girl Scouts of Western New York serves nearly 15,000 girls and 7,000 adult volunteers across the GSWNY jurisdiction, including Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. The council’s administrative service centers are located in Batavia, Buffalo, Jamestown, Lockport, Niagara Falls, and Rochester.
