Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Did you know: less than two percent of annual giving has benefitted girl- and women-focused organizations? That has changed thanks to philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's investment in Girl Scouts. We are incredibly grateful to be the recipient of a record breaking $1.8 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott which will help us not only accelerate our mission, but will help us expand access and engagement of girls and families in Nassau County. This generous gift will significantly advance our ability to provide life-changing experiences, mentorship, and programming to all girls. When you invest in girls you will change the world-- because when one girl succeeds, we all succeed!   Mackenzie Scott – Thank you for investing in girls and Girl Scouts!! 💚 #GiveToWomenandGirls https://nwsdy.li/3yRmuKK

Sofia led an art-supply drive to create coloring buckets for children. Each bucket contained an original coloring book and crayons for children to explore their emotions through the use of color. She developed a color wheel for children to understand how colors help them to understand and navigate their emotions. She tied this to her community by giving presentations and donating art buckets to Girl Scout troops, recreation centers, day camps, and hospitals. She hopes her community will continue this project every year in May for Mental Health Awareness Month. Thank you for making a difference, Girl Scout! Congratulations on your well-deserved #GSGoldAward!

Leah E. Watson currently serves on the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s Board of Directors as secretary. In 2021, Leah received her Girl Scouts lifetime membership status. She is a Founder and Co-President of A Better You Consulting Services LLC, which specializes in Executive and Emerging Leadership Development, Project Management and Conference Event Planning. Starting her career at British Airways, Leah has achieved an excellent reputation for project management and interpersonal skills over her 34 years of service. Leah received the British Airways “Above and Beyond” award for successfully managing a six-million-dollar corporate IT initiative. She received the British Airways Outstanding Teamwork Award and was selected by colleagues for demonstrating British Airways Values of Honesty and Responsibility. Through Leah’s organizational affiliations, she utilizes her innovative leadership skills to inspire and motivate others. Leah is the immediate past president of the Long Island (NY) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. Under her leadership, she established the first National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter for middle school girls on Long Island. Leah recently completed her term as Communications Chair for the Eastern Area of The Links, Incorporated. In this role, she was responsible for all social media channels, distribution of a bimonthly area newsletter, and weekly media highlights. Leah currently serves as the Technology Chair for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Long Island Chapter, Inc. In December 2021, Leah was appointed to serve on the National Technology Committee for the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. Leah is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and former president of Theta Iota Omega Chapter. She was recently appointed to serve on the International Risk Management Committee by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority International President Danette Anthony Reed. Leah is the recipient of the 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award from the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. She has received several leadership awards from various community service organizations. Let’s celebrate her hard work and dedication to our community and council!

Faith presented her Gold Award project to local children about the benefits of teamwork and leadership. She helped underprivileged children learn about sports they would not normally be exposed to, like lacrosse. She taught children the basics of lacrosse during instructional clinics and distributed educational resources to parents. She worked with coaches to offer clinics for schools that didn’t have lacrosse programs. She also developed videos to teach students and adults about teamwork and how to play the sport. Faith’s project is sustained by her local travel teams and youth league. Way to make a difference, Girl Scout! Congratulations on your #GSGoldAward!

John Zhao is a native New Yorker with a passion and career in technology. Having been immersed in technology since his early teens, he founded his first technology startup in the early 2000s before completing his degree in Electrical Engineering at The Cooper Union. After graduating summa cum laude, he went on to work for Bloomberg LP in 2006 and has been with the firm since. John currently serves as a Director of Software Engineering in the Internal Applications Department where he oversees over 30 software engineers. At Bloomberg, John has not only worked to build out world-class software and technology for one of Wall Street’s most important companies but spends a good part of his time coaching and mentoring up and coming leaders and new hires. John has also been involved with the Boy Scouts (Troop 1180) as the chair for the Pinewood Derby. John currently serves as the Vice President of the Girl scouts of Nassau County. When John is not at work, he is home with his wife and two kids at his home in The Woodlands, TX where he has resided since 2022. You will find him playing guitar and piano with his kids, engaged in an intense game of Monopoly, or off biking and hiking when the weather is nice. Let’s celebrate his hard work and dedication to our council!

Kennedy addressed the issue of monarch butterfly endangerment caused by deforestation and habitat loss. She built a beautiful garden at Eisenhower Park full of the specific plants monarch butterflies need to live. She teamed up with Hicks Nursery to secure the proper plants and materials to make her vision become a reality. Kennedy is proud to say that her monarch butterfly garden has become a nationally-recognized way station for the butterflies to stop at during their migratory path. This project will continue to have a long-term impact on the ecosystem due to the unique importance these butterflies have, and it will be supported by having troops maintain the status of the garden. What a wonderful #GSGoldAward project! Congratulations Girl Scout!

Tonia Bottoms is a Managing Director, Senior Managing Counsel, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Advocate and a member of BNY Mellon Pershing’s Executive Committee. She specializes in retirement plans and financial products, providing guidance and oversight of retirement and education savings offerings to ensure compliance. She also works on regulatory and legislative matters. As DEI Advocate, Tonia works to advance diversity as a business imperative and inclusion as a leadership skill, bringing perspectives to executives and implementing meaningful change in underrepresented populations. Tonia has served in a variety of leadership roles within BNY Mellon’s employee resource groups, including as Global Co-Chair of IMPACT, chair of IMPACT’s Black Leadership Forum, and co-chair of Women’s Initiative Network Jersey City chapter. She’s been recognized as a three-time 100 Ethnic Minority Executive on Empowers Role Model list, a 2022 Most Influential Black Lawyer by Savoy Magazine, and a “CUP 2022 Finance Catalyst” by the Council of Urban Professionals. Tonia is also a past co-chair of the SIFMA Retirement and Education Savings Committee. She is also on the boards of the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, American Red Cross (Greater NY Region), and the Money Management Institute Gateway Foundation. Tonia holds Bachelor of Science in Finance and Juris Doctorate degrees from the University of Maryland. Tonia is also a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and a Girl Scout mom. Let’s celebrate her hard work and commitment to our council!

Kate educated children and her community on the benefits of home gardening and composting. She presented information to two summer camps and engaged the campers by having them plant their own tomato or basil plant and decorating kitchen counter compost bins. She had a booth at the Oyster Bay Market and distributed her brochure about her Gold Award project. Kate also created an Instagram page and website to provide information on gardening and how to create a compost pile. Kate’s project is sustained by her website, a composting program at the Boys & Girls Club, and an activities binder donated to the Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary and Audubon Center and her elementary school. Way to make a difference, Girl Scout! Congratulations on your #GSGoldAward!

Allison Bishop White, Esq. is Senior Vice President, Head of Early Dispute Resolution at LPL Financial where she leads a team of attorneys who are responsible for the investigation and resolution of matters involving the sale of securities products. Prior to joining LPL Financial, Allison was employed at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where she was a Director, and the New York Stock Exchange, (now known as the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), where she held a number of senior roles. Ms. White is a member of the New York City Bar Association, the Financial Women’s Association, the New York State Medical Review Board, and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association. She also serves on the Public Policy Council of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. Ms. White is a graduate of Northeastern University and has a Juris Doctor (JD) from the Maurice A. Dean School of Law at Hofstra University. Ms. White joined the Board in 2016 and is now serving as a Vice president. Let’s celebrate her hard work and dedication to our council!

Samantha Vitale addressed the issue of burnout among teens and young adults. She was able to spread awareness of burnout by discussing symptoms and prevention methods with students at St. Aidan School and Kellenberg Memorial, and with Girl Scout troops. Samantha led the participants in exercises such as journaling, yoga, and deep breathing. Her project is sustained through her social media page, which advocates for healthy habits. Congratulations on your #GSGoldAward!