Ginny Marino

There are 59 million women in the United States who’ve been a Girl Scout at some point in their lives, and Ginny Marino feels a responsibility to help shape the next generation of girls and young women who will count themselves in that number.

Marino puts an emphasis on leading by example. She attributes much of her personal success to the mentors she’s had throughout her career, and she strives to be one as well.

“I’ve had mentors who encouraged me to try things I didn’t know I’d like, pushed me to put myself out there and planted the seed for the different things I could try and do,” Marino says. “Since I’ve been in a leadership position, I’ve loved working with young, ambitious and talented girls, giving them things to think about and opening doors if I can.”

Marino, who has a diverse professional background in banking and philanthropic giving, finds fulfillment in her role as a leader not only for her professional staff, but also for the girls her organization serves, from kindergarten through high school.

“It’s so rewarding to be able to use my professional experience in a way I know is making an impact in their lives,” Marino says. “I often say I’m like the fish who found her pond. I’ve been here a little more than two years, and I feel like we’re just getting started with new ideas and new thinking.”

Marino has led the push to bring the Girl Scouts – an iconic American institution – into the 21st century in ways that both help and strengthen its young women.

“We’re always adapting,” she says. “We’re bringing a lot of technology into the Girl Scout experience because that’s what kids know. Today, the social pressure on middle school and high school girls is continuous. It’s around them all the time. The magic of what Girl Scouts does is it gives girls the power to say, ‘I’m going to choose what’s right for me.’”

Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ
856-795-1560
gscsnj.org