Girl Scouts Appoints Emerald Circle Co-Chairs for 2015
June 10, 2015
GREENVILLE, SC – Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands has appointed Jean Shew and Tavia Gaddy as 2015 Emerald Circle Co-chairs for Greenville and Pickens counties. The Emerald Circle is a philanthropic group of visionary women who annually support the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. The Greenville/Pickens group is united with Circles in other counties through a common ideal: helping girls become leaders in their families, schools, churches and communities.
Tavia Gaddy and Jean Shew
“The friends and experiences that girls have in Girl Scouting shape their futures. The leadership opportunities that they build on each year make Girl Scouting the number one girls’ leadership program in the U.S. Girl Scouts are truly making the world a better place through all their community service. It is so exciting to help make Girl Scouting accessible and relevant for today’s girls by engaging women through our Emerald Circle!” says Shew.
Gaddy explains, “The Emerald Circle is about helping girls become the best they can be. Through our combined giving power, women can help girls grow every year and build lifelong leadership skills. When your invitation arrives in your mailbox, please join our Emerald Circle of women who are making a positive impact on girls’ lives in Greenville and Pickens counties. I urge you to invest in girl leadership!”
Returning for her second year of Emerald Circle leadership, Jean Shew is the health room manager at Greenville Technical Charter High School and also serves as an advisor to freshman students and their families. She was the director of the Entech 281 Robotics Team for two years, leading this high school engineering/technology team to two national championship events. Shew has served on the Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midland’s’ Long-Range Program/Property Committee and the Greenville region Gold Award Committee. Along with a group of Girl Scout volunteers and teens, Shew founded the Powerful Women Summit, an annual program connecting teens with career women, which has served more than 1,000 girls across the council since its inception seven years ago. She holds a B.S. in Public Administration from Western Michigan University and is also a certified Master Gardener. She and her husband, Clyde, have three daughters and two granddaughters.
Tavia C.M. Gaddy is Project Manager with the Greenville Area Development Corporation (GADC). Since 2005, Gaddy has been involved in creating an anticipated 4,803 new jobs and the investment of over $400 million of new capital into Greenville. On behalf of Greenville County, she has assisted in expansions/recruitments with recognizable names like Gordon Food Service, W.W. Grainger, Siemens, Sweet Street Desserts and Esurance. Prior to joining GADC, Gaddy worked with the SC Departments of Commerce and Parks, Recreation and Tourism; Wachovia Bank; and Clear Channel Communications Inc. A Columbia native and former Girl Scout troop leader, Gaddy holds degrees in Mass Communications from Grambling State University (BA) and from the University of South Carolina (MA). She is a member of the SC Economic Developers’ Association, and has earned SC Certified Economic Developer (SCCED) status. She is married to Bernard Gaddy.
For more information on how to support girl leadership development through Emerald Circle, please contact Lee Ann Maley at Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands at 800.849.4475 x2709.
For 103 years, Girl Scouting has helped girls develop positive values and become active, responsible leaders in their communities. With emphasis on personal growth and leadership development through service to others, Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands serves more than 11,450 girls, grades K5-12, and 4,700 adults in 22 counties of central and western South Carolina, including Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Cherokee, Chester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Greenville, Greenwood, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, and Union.
