Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey President and CEO Betty Garger Named to NJBIZ’s 2021 Best 50 Women in Business List
Riverdale, N.J. – September 30, 2021 – Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey (GSNNJ), the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, announces President and CEO Betty Garger has been named to NJBIZ’s 2021 Best 50 Women in Business list.
Selected annually, the NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business list recognizes women making a significant impact on New Jersey business and the community at large while shattering stereotypes and the glass ceiling.
A long-time employee and champion of Girl Scouts, Betty Garger has been deeply involved with the organization for more than 30 years and has been instrumental in the success of GSNNJ since its formation in 2007. Prior to her role as CEO of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, Garger served as COO for five years and previously held multiple leadership positions within the organization spanning communications, fund development, product sales, and membership recruitment. Prior to the formation of GSNNJ, Garger served as CEO of Girl Scouts: Lenni Lenape Council, Inc.
Under Garger’s leadership, GSNNJ builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place, giving girls the encouragement and support they need to become leaders. Volunteers are the lifeblood of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, and Garger works tirelessly to identify female mentors who empower and inspire girls, creating an environment where adult volunteers can help develop the leaders of tomorrow through their mentorship. Out of 111 Girl Scout councils across the country, GSNNJ consistently receives top rankings for percentage of girls served/market share, and for both girl and adult retention. Today, GSNNJ serves more than 24,000 girls and nearly 13,000 adult members in Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and northern Warren counties.
Garger is leading the transformation of an almost 110-year-old organization with a focus on membership, equity, and the revitalization of the volunteer experience. Committed to ensuring that Girl Scouts is relevant to today’s girls and their parents, Garger uses creativity and innovation to develop programs and services that help achieve the mission of Girl Scouts. Recent noteworthy achievements include developing a diversity, equity and inclusion advisory group, partnering with YWCA of Northern NJ on an initiative to help staff build more effective social justice habits, and launching the Mobile Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) which brings staff-led STEM-focused activities directly to girls in underserved areas. Garger and the organization also leveraged the Mobile GSLE infrastructure to seamlessly pivot the programming to a virtual format amid the COVID-19 pandemic to keep girls engaged and reaching goals. Additionally, under Garger’s leadership, GSNNJ has also rolled out a mental health initiative to provide girls with positive mental health and wellness programming as well as resources and training for parents and volunteers.
“Betty is not only a visionary leader and respected non-profit professional, but she is also a champion of Girl Scouting. She works tirelessly every day to support the 24,000 girls that make up the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, driven by a passion to help shape the next generation of female leaders in New Jersey and beyond,” said Bette M. Simmons, Ed.D., Board Chair, Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey Board of Directors. “On behalf of Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey, I’d like to congratulate Betty on this truly well-deserved honor from NJBIZ.”
About Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them.
Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey serves girls ages 5-18 in Bergen, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, and northern Warren counties, bringing the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to over 24,000 girls and nearly 13,000 adult members. Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey is committed to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for every girl and her family.
To learn more about Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey or to volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.gsnnj.org and stay connected by following GSNNJ on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.