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Girl Scouts’ Interim CEO Will Stay On, NAACP Seeks ‘Refresh’

May 26, 2017 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Sylvia Acevedo has been named chief executive of Girl Scouts of America after having served an interim capacity for a year. She succeeds Anna Maria Chávez, who stepped down last June.

Girl Scouts of the USA
Sylvia Acevedo has been named chief executive of Girl Scouts of America after having served an interim capacity for a year. She succeeds Anna Maria Chávez, who stepped down last June.

Girl Scouts of the USA

Sylvia Acevedo, who has served as interim leader of the Girl Scouts of America for a year, has been named its new chief executive. She has run the organization since Anna Maria Chávez’s departure from the top job last June amid criticism of her leadership.

Ms. Acevedo, a member of the nonprofit’s national Board of Directors before her interim appointment, is a tech-industry veteran who founded Communicard, a technology company that analyzed market trends. Previously, she worked at Apple, Dell, IBM, and other companies and began her career as a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The Girl Scouts of the USA, which works to empower girls and young women, is one of the largest nonprofits in the United States. Last year, it raised more than $125 million in private support.

NAACP

Cornell William Brooks was ousted as chief executive of the NAACP by the organization’s national board, which voted not to renew his contract when it expires at the end of June. In a statement, the board announced it was seeking a “systemwide refresh” to help it more aggressively tackle racial discrimination. The board’s chairman and vice chairman, Leon Russell and Derrick Johnson, will manage the organization until a new leader is named.


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Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington

Bob Wittig, executive director of the Jovid Foundation, was appointed the nonprofit’s first executive director.

National Forest Foundation

Mary Mitsos, executive vice president, was promoted to chief executive. Ms. Mitsos will succeed Bill Possiel, who is retiring after 19 years at the helm.

Spark Los Angeles

Janine Berridge, managing director of external affairs, was promoted to executive director.

Other notable appointments:

Angela Cox, vice president for administration at the Arctic Slope Native Association, was appointed vice president for external affairs at Rasmuson Foundation.

Jessica Feldan, associate vice president at the American Technion Society, was appointed chief development officer at the Birthright Israel Foundation.


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Personnel moves at companies that serve nonprofits:

Joy Selak, director of development at MindPop, will become a philanthropy adviser at Rodman and Associates, a philanthropic advisory firm in Austin, Tex.

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