Summary
Description
Scion Executive Search has been retained to lead the search for a Chief Executive Officer on behalf of the Girl Scouts of Colorado, a mission-driven organization committed to developing girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. This Colorado-based role presents a compelling opportunity to lead a dynamic, statewide organization at a pivotal moment of growth, community impact, and organizational evolution.
ABOUT GIRL SCOUTS OF COLORADO:
The Girl Scouts of Colorado (GSCO) serves close to 15,000 girls and families across the state through leadership development experiences rooted in troop engagement, outdoor adventure, and community connection. Backed by a strong network of staff, volunteers, and partners, GSCO is a driving force in developing confident, capable leaders.
Known for its strong community footprint and unwavering commitment to accessibility and inclusion, GSCO delivers iconic programming that builds confidence, resilience, and entrepreneurial spirit. With a respected brand and mission, and a highly engaged board, the organization is poised to expand its reach and deepen its impact in the years ahead.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The Chief Executive Officer will serve as the strategic and operational leader of the Girl Scouts of Colorado, reporting to the Board of Directors and partnering closely with an engaged and committed governance body. This executive will refine and execute a clear long-term strategy to strengthen membership, diversify revenue, and enhance organizational effectiveness. The Chief Executive Officer will actively and positively represent GSCO across Girl Scouts of the USA, contributing to and influencing national policies and practices, while elevating the organization’s presence through active participation in national meetings, events, and collaborative forums.
The CEO will step into a stable, well-regarded organization with the opportunity to bring greater strategic clarity, deepen alignment across the Board and leadership team, and optimize internal structures for scale and impact. A central mandate will be to balance external visibility, including fundraising and community engagement, with internal leadership and organizational effectiveness that reimagines GSCO’s service delivery model, advances culture, develops talent, and drives operational excellence.
Success in this role will require the ability to build trust across stakeholders, energize high-performing teams, and translate vision into measurable outcomes. The CEO will serve as the organization’s primary ambassador, representing GSCO across corporate, philanthropic, and community sectors throughout the state.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Leadership & Organizational Alignment
- Define and execute a clear, multi-year strategic plan that drives membership growth, revenue expansion, and long-term mission impact.
- Establish a unifying organizational vision and align the Board, leadership team, and staff around shared priorities and measurable outcomes.
- Assess and strengthen organizational structure, systems, and processes to support scale, accountability, and performance.
Board Partnership & Governance
- Build a strong, trust-based partnership with the Board of Directors, ensuring clarity in roles, decision-making, and strategic direction.
- Foster alignment and engagement across the Board, supporting a high-performing and forward-looking governance model.
- Provide clear, consistent, and forward-looking communication and reporting to support effective oversight and decision-making.
- Partner with Board Chair and Executive Committee to make GSCO Board of Directors a coveted service opportunity through high board engagement, retention of board members, and positive relationship-based collaboration.
External Leadership & Revenue Generation
- Serve as the primary ambassador of the Girl Scouts of Colorado, strengthening relationships with donors, corporate partners, and community leaders across Colorado.
- Lead and evolve a comprehensive fundraising strategy spanning major gifts, partnerships, and signature events.
- Expand brand visibility and relevance statewide, elevating GSCO’s presence and impact across diverse communities.
Team Leadership & Culture
- Lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing leadership team, including evaluating and optimizing team structure to meet future needs.
- Foster a culture grounded in trust, accountability, inclusion, and professional development.
- Address potential organizational fatigue and strengthen long-term team engagement, cohesion, and sustainability.
Growth, Programs, & Innovation
- Drive innovative strategies to grow membership and expand access to programming across communities throughout the state.
- Attract girls and families from varying socio-economic backgrounds, cultures, and needs.
- Strengthen and evolve volunteer engagement models in response to changing participation trends.
- Maximize the impact and revenue potential of organizational assets, including camps and programmatic offerings.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Proven experience as a CEO or senior enterprise leader with full organizational leadership accountability, including strategy, operations, and financial performance.
- Demonstrated success developing and executing long-term strategic plans that drive growth, scale, and measurable impact.
- Strong track record in fundraising and external engagement, including building relationships with donors, corporate partners, and community stakeholders.
- Experience working closely with engaged Boards of Directors, with the ability to build trust, navigate governance dynamics, and drive strategic alignment.
- Proven ability to assess, develop, and optimize leadership teams, fostering accountability, cohesion, and high performance.
- Experience leading within complex, multi-stakeholder environments, ideally within nonprofit, association, or mission-driven organizations; corporate experience also valued.
- Familiarity with membership-based or volunteer-driven models, including evolving engagement strategies in changing participation environments.
- Understanding of regional dynamics, with a connection to Colorado or the ability to quickly build credibility and relationships across the state.
Leadership Profile
- Relationship-driven leader with strong emotional intelligence and the ability to build trust across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Strategic and forward-thinking, with the discipline to translate vision into execution and results.
- Executive presence and communication skills suited to representing the organization at the highest levels.
- Grounded, self-aware leadership style with the ability to balance visibility with team empowerment and effective delegation.
- Mission-aligned, with a commitment to developing girls and young women into confident leaders.
- Adaptable and resilient, with the ability to lead through change, complexity, and organizational evolution.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
This role offers a base salary range of $220,000–$250,000, complemented by a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes retirement contributions with employer match, robust health and wellness coverage, and a generous paid time off program.
APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS:
Girl Scouts of Colorado has retained the services of Scion Executive Search, a national executive search firm specializing in recruiting for mission-driven organizations, to assist in conducting this important search. For immediate consideration, please apply with your resume and cover letter, formatted in Microsoft Word, via: https://scionexecutivesearch.com/job/14247
Please address applications to:
Sydney Burnham (she/her/hers)
Senior Executive Search Principal
Scion Executive Search
Review of applications, nominations, and expressions of interest will begin immediately and continue on a confidential basis until an appointment is made.
ABOUT OUR FIRM:
Scion Executive Search is an award-winning retained executive search firm. Our track record and recruitment process have made us one of the top recruitment firms in the United States. Through innovative team building and recruitment solutions, Scion Executive Search seamlessly bridges the gap in interim and executive searches. Our track record and recruitment process have made us one of the top recruitment firms in the nation.
We are proud to be part of the Forbes lists of the Best Recruitment Firms and the Best Executive Search Firms in America. Additionally, Scion has been recognized as a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing firm as well as a top recruitment firm by The Business Times. Additional information about our firm and our practices can be found online.
Scion Executive Search is an equal opportunity employer and service provider and does not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected class. We are committed to the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and are dedicated to making employment decisions based on merit and value, for ourselves, our client companies, and the candidates we represent.
For opportunities located in a region that has enacted fair chance, arrest, or conviction-based employment ordinances, Scion Executive Search proactively follows the enacted guidance and considers for employment all qualified applications with arrest and conviction records. We engage in socially conscious business practices and believe that diverse, equitable, inclusive, and non-biased talent and recruitment processes are foundational to the success of Scion as well as every client organization with whom we partner.
