GSWCF News

GSWCF Announces New CEO – Kim Jowell

The board of directors of Girl Scouts of West Central Florida is pleased to introduce Kim Jowell as the chief executive officer of the council, effective July 1. Kim was selected from among approximately 60 applicants representing the best local and national executive experience within Girl Scouting and other non-profit organizations.

“The council’s volunteers and staff indicated that collaborative leadership, community relations, and management experience were the top three skills they wanted in their next leader, and Kim brings all of those to Girl Scouts,” said Felecia Gilmore-Long, board member and chair of the CEO selection task group.

The nine-member, all-volunteer task group, comprising current and former board members, and operational volunteers, was enthusiastic in its nomination of Kim Jowell, and the board unanimously approved the nomination.

Kim is coming to us from the Suncoast Safety Council in Clearwater, where she is the executive director; she was previously the executive director of Pinellas Village in Largo, and a communications supervisor and victim advocate with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

“I am extremely excited about joining the GSWCF team and looking forward to collectively working together in facilitating and encouraging young girls to be more for themselves and community,” said Kim.

An executive director for more than 10 years, Kim’s executive experience includes leading two very different not-for-profits in results-driven initiatives in program/curriculum for youth, marketing, quality assurance, facilities/property management, legislative work, successful grant writing and fundraising.

As the executive director of the Suncoast Safety Council since January 2006, Kim led the organization in an annual reduction in costs; she developed an intervention program for at-risk youth; created curricula for juvenile shopping offenders; incorporated five new programs, with one resulting in the highest source of revenue for the organization since 1994; wrote and acquired grants resulting in the agency’s first three state-funded programs and an additional $230,000 in revenue; and much more.

She is a graduate of the Leadership St. Pete class of 2006 and a certified crisis responder, recognized by Governor Bush for crisis work at Ground Zero, post 9/11.

A Girl Scout in Maryland, Kim graduated from Largo High School and St. Leo University with a B.A. in Criminology. She has lived in Florida for more than 25 years, currently residing in Palm Harbor with her husband, Sean, a captain with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, their sons Trevor (15) and Connor (13) and two dogs Gunther and Maddie.

“I value inclusiveness and know respect of that is an integral part of our growth together when I join July 1,” adds Kim.

We look forward to welcoming Kim to GSWCF on July 1 and sharing more information about her history and vision for Girl Scouts of West Central Florida.