Just a few months ago on Aug. 4, Stacy McNeiland became CEO of Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma. McNeiland herself is a Girl Scouts alum who has 25 years of leadership experience in education and the nonprofit sector. Stepping into this role, she felt this moment had brought her full circle.
“I was raised in a household with a lot of love but with financial and food insecurity, so the opportunity to become a Girl Scout was a fantastic experience for me. My mom was my troop leader. I was sexually abused from the time I was 5 until I was 12 years old, and I held that secret for a very long time. Because of what was happening to me, Girl Scouts was a place of refuge. It was always a safe environment, with snacks and friends. Over time, it became a place where I developed into a leader. Girl Scouts is known for introducing girls to new opportunities. It allows girls to try new things and to fail safely. I give a lot of credit to the Girl Scouts for who I am as a leader today,” she said.
“I am very proud of the fact that I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. As an organization that supports girls, we need to be informed about issues that Oklahoma girls are facing—social media pressure, mental health, depression and abuse. We must empower and protect our girls.”
McNeiland has been passionate about working with young people throughout her career. Beginning in 2013, she served as CEO of The CARE Center, Oklahoma County’s only nationally accredited child advocacy center, where she founded ROAR, a groundbreaking child abuse prevention program that has now educated more than 125,000 children and adults. Under her leadership, the organization experienced substantial growth in staff, revenue and reach.
“Stacy has distinguished herself in the community as a tireless advocate for youth, an innovative leader and a strategic thinker known for her organizational development,” said Board Chair Gayle Semtner. “Her background, enthusiasm and compelling vision for Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma’s future make her the ideal person to lead the organization.”
McNeiland is excited about working with her stellar staff, troops and girls. Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma includes 39 of our state’s 77 counties, she said: “We serve most counties west of I-35, with some southeastern counties as well. The challenge lies in accessing rural areas of the state and making sure our troops in those communities have everything they need.”
She also speaks with deep excitement about GSWESTOK’s Camp Trivera, which she describes as an outdoor playground and curiosity lab, featuring everything from ziplines to places where girls can build robots. The camp focuses on encouraging girls to find what they are excited about in the Entrepreneurship Program, Outdoors Programs, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), Digital Leadership, High Adventure Team, Life Skills and community service projects.
When asked about new initiatives, McNeiland delivered a bombshell: Girl Scouts are launching a brand-new cookie this year, Exploremores. “But don’t worry! All the classic flavors will still be there.” She hopes that whenever you see a Girl Scout selling cookies, you will “imagine that this is a little tiny businessperson before you. They are making money for themselves and their troops. Then, they can use their money to go on trips and adventures, or to buy new uniforms for their troop. They are learning to be leaders in their community.”
McNeiland took a breath to say with deep conviction and gratitude, “I love youth, I love children, I love what they represent for our nation. They are our legacy. Investing in them is always a wise decision. I have always chosen to be in a profession that can uphold them.”
