Congratulations to the Thanks Badge recipients!

The Thanks Badge is awarded to a volunteer or staff member whose service has had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission delivery goals of the entire council or the entire Girl Scout Movement. The outstanding service performed by the candidate resulted in outcomes that benefitted the total council or the entire Girl Scout organization, and is so significantly above and beyond the call of duty that no other award would be appropriate.

Courtney Evans | Sunberries Service Unit
In response to the emotional toll the pandemic took on our girls and volunteers, Courtney answered the call for volunteers to help build a resource for troops and service teams to provide support and build resilience. Supported by her Girl Scout and mental health professional backgrounds, she generously offered suggestions, with experience. This resource became GSME Taking Care and Courtney helped to build and deliver workshops for adult volunteers across the state, both virtually and in person at the Transforming Leadership Conference.

Beyond this project, Courtney has been a long-time volunteer with multiple troops and serves on the Sunberries Service Unit Team in multiple roles including as a GSME learning facilitator. Courtney has been on staff for both summer and winter Camp Adventures for Grown-Ups, co-leading the most rigorous tracks at each. She is generous with her time, skills, and knowledge, always with girls and volunteers in focus.

Jesse Ellis | Knox Service Unit
Jesse stepped up to help build the GSME Taking Care resource for troops and service teams. Supported by her background both with Girl Scouts and as a mental health professional who specifically worked with youth, she generously offered suggestions, with experience and details on how to use activities and how to create a supportive culture. After the resource was published, Jesse helped to build and deliver workshops for adult volunteers across the state, both virtually and in-person at the Transforming Leadership Conference.

Jesse has been a long-time volunteer with multiple troops, always ready to take in new girls, and serving her Knox Service Unit in multiple roles including GSME learning facilitator. She keeps the girls at the center of everything she does and is generous with her skills and talents.

Jessica Prentiss | Arnold Trail Service Unit
Jess has successfully coordinated the Arnold Trail Service Unit fall product and cookie sales for the last seven years. Her trainings are complete and thorough, and she responds to all questions and concerns. She's a product sale expert who has good working relationships and always seeks additional knowledge as needed. Her work beyond her service unit includes participation in GSME Q&A programs for new leaders throughout the state.

Jess initiated and now coordinates a council wide opportunity for service units to offer incentives and rewards during the cookie program. She collaborates with GSME and offers a presentation at the yearly Fall Product Supervisor Training. Her creation and coordination of this opportunity is a perfect example of going above and beyond expectations. Everyone benefits from Jess’s passionate work.

Julia Munsey | Sunberries Service Unit
As GSME board chair, Julia resurrected and recruited members for an executive committee to oversee the search for a new CEO for GSME. Working closely with staff, members of the committee, and the search firm, she led the multifaceted work and was ultimately hired for the position. There was a gap in leadership during the transition and during that period, Julia was available to the senior team to ensure the staff was supported and informed. She has been a source of information, support, and guidance for the new CEO during her onboarding.

Julia is a champion of Girl Scouts and the mission. She has made countless introductions, opened numerous doors, and has helped share the importance of the work Girl Scouts does. Girl Scouts is honored to have her leadership.

Shannon Johnson | Winding Rivers Service Unit
Shannon has taken on multiple positions within her service unit, simultaneously. With no one offering to fill her shoes, she remains in her current position to ensure the stability of the service unit, ensuring girl and adult members have a knowledgeable person to go to. She has gone above and beyond with planning events and sincerely cares about each person within the service unit.

She has worked extensively with older Girl Scouts at the Transforming Leadership Conference, through recruiting older Girl Scouts to become voting members and delegates, and she leads the statewide Girls on the Go program encouraging girls to travel, see different parts of the world, and make new friends from other countries or states.