Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands announces new Board of Directors Members

Girl Scouts of South Carolina – Mountains to Midlands announces the election of six new members to the Board of Directors, serving a 22-county jurisdiction.

The six new members elected to serve are Robin Coletrain-Irmo, Cynthia Dooley-Columbia, Jean Cecil Frick-Columbia, Vida Jennings-Columbia, Caroline Jurga-Columbia, Heidi McCrory-Greenville.

• Heidi McCrory – Greenville is the Vice President for Development at Furman University in Greenville, SC. She is responsible for overseeing all annual and endowment support, planning and solicitation of major gifts, alumni and parent engagement, donor relations and stewardship, and leading the university’s comprehensive campaign.  She joined Furman in 2018 after serving four years as vice president for college relations at Kenyon College in Ohio. Her career in higher education has included leadership roles at Sweet Briar College, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and New England College. McCrory earned a BFA cum laude at Southern Methodist University, and a master’s degree in English at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has been active with the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), where she has served on the National Commission on Philanthropy, the Liberal Arts College Advisory Council and as the Norma Walker Faculty Chair for the Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising. She is a 2007 Athena Award recipient from the Lynchburg, Virginia Chamber of Commerce and a life-long member and volunteer for the Girl Scouts, serving in various capacities as a volunteer and board member and officer for the Ohio Heartland and Virginia Skyline Councils. She and her husband Bill have two adult children and their spouses. She loves chocolate, hiking, travel, sports, reading, baking and all things Girl Scouts.
• Robin Coletrain – Irmo has been involved in public education for 24 years and serves as Principal of W.A. Perry Middle School in Richland School District One. She is passionate about providing innovative solutions to the challenges students face to be competitive in the 21st century. Dr. Coletrain graduated from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science; Howard University with a Master of Education in Special Education; and Capella University with a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership. She attended the prestigious Harvard University and completed a one-week program for School Turnaround Leaders. Also, she completed The South Carolina Transformational Leadership Academy (SCTLA) where she received the School Turnaround Specialist endorsement. Dr. Coletrain was named the 2020 Middle Level Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA).  Dr. Coletrain serves on the University of South Carolina’s Principal Advisory Board and the University Of South Carolina Museum of Education’s Advisory Board. She is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators (SCASA) and the South Carolina Alliance of Black School Educators (SCABSE). Robin is a member of the Gamma Nu Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
• Cynthia Dooley – Columbia grew up in Lexington, SC. She was a Girl Scout Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scout and most of her troops were led by her mother Ann Craven. She attained the Silver Award. Cindy graduated with honors from Lexington High School where she was also a varsity cheerleader. She attended the University of South Carolina where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Psychology. She worked 13 years as a Senior Multi Line Adjuster for Aetna Casualty & Surety. She held an adjuster license and obtained her AIC. When Aetna moved out of SC, she decided to go to law school, a lifelong dream.  Cindy obtained her JD degree from USC School of Law in 1997 when she was 40 years old. Cynthia joined Turner Padget Graham and Laney following her graduation and soon found her home in workers’ compensation defense.  She was the WC Team Leader for several years and later was elected to the firm’s management committee.  She later became the chairperson of the SC Bar WC Section. Cindy was certified by the SC Bar as a mediator and was able to resolve almost 500 cases prior to costly litigation.  She was inducted into the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals in 2021/2022.After 25 years at Turner Padget, Governor McMaster appointed Cynthia as a SC Workers’ Compensation Commissioner and she was then confirmed by the SC Senate in 2022. Cindy is married to Albert J. Dooley Jr (Bert) her childhood sweetheart and they have 2 children and 5 grandchildren. When she is not at work, you can find Cindy spending time with her children and grandchildren, traveling, at Edisto Beach, on Lake Murray, gardening or reading.
• Jean Cecil Frick – Columbia is a dot connector, helping clients create strategic communications plans geared towards engaging key stakeholders whether it be the media, elected officials, business leaders or others. She takes her clients’ plans for today and analyzes them through the lens of how to best prepare for the future. Jean Cecil does that through steady listening and attention to detail learned after years working in Washington, D.C. for Vice President Dick Cheney and later for President George W. Bush. While working in D.C., Jean Cecil played a part in the signing of the PEPFAR legislation, a lasting legacy of the Bush administration that authorized emergency AIDS relief into law and still continues today. After years working at the highest levels of government, Jean Cecil returned to South Carolina where she rooted herself in the business community by taking a role with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce. Once there, she familiarized herself with the businesses doing work across the state, which prepared her for her next role with the state’s Department of Employment and Workforce (DEW). In that role, Jean Cecil was instrumental in repairing the relationship between the agency and its employees after years of operating in the red – all the while she worked on the side to rebuild the department’s trust fund. Her work with DEW was recognized by then-S.C. governor Nikki Haley who entrusted Jean Cecil with turning around another state agency. Before joining NP Strategy, Jean Cecil was the CEO of Beam and Hinge, a web development firm serving small to medium-sized businesses. Jean Cecil is an advocate for women. She has served as a Girl Scout troop leader for three years. Additionally, upon ending her tenure as Chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Jean Cecil was proud to further her impact by nominating a woman to replace her. Jean Cecil served as the 2021-2022 Chair of Columbia Chamber Board of Directors and continues to play an active role on their Executive Committee. She was raised in Spartanburg, S.C. and attended Wofford College where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Art History. She is a graduate of the Riley Institute Diversity Leaders Initiative and Leadership South Carolina. Jean Cecil has been recognized by Columbia Regional Business Report as a 2020 Phenom and by Columbia Business Monthly as a Best and Brightest 35 and Under.
• Vida Jennings – Columbia Jennings is a native of Orangeburg, SC. She holds a Master of Arts in Human Resources Development from Webster University, Ft. Jackson and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Calloway School of Business and Accountancy, Wake Forest University. Vida is currently employed with BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. She has been with the company since August 2002. In her role as Manager, Corporate Learning and Diversity she oversees human resources sponsored training, corporate tuition assistance, diversity initiatives, equal opportunity, and affirmative action compliance. Vida is a Leadership Columbia graduate and was recognized as a “20 Under 40” by the State Media Group in 2012. She currently serves on the board of directors for The Free Medical Clinic of Columbia. Vida is a Gold Award recipient and a lifetime member of Girl Scouts. She is a former member of the Association of Girl Scout Executive Staff and has received continuing education at the Edith Macy Conference Center. A lifelong learner, Vida is currently pursuing a professional doctorate in business administration.
• Caroline Jurga – Columbia is the Director of Territory Development for Colonial Life. She oversees the development and implementation of the onboarding and ongoing development programs for Colonial Life’s sales leaders. A native of South Carolina, Caroline grew up in Columbia attending the Montessori School of Columbia and schools in District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties. An avid Gamecock fan throughout her life, she went on to attend the University of South Carolina and received a Bachelor of Science in Retail. A l over of animals, Caroline used the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to foster animals at Pawmetto Lifeline while working from home. Caroline enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her fiancé, family, and dogs.

Returning Board Members include, Phil Bargardi, VP of Ticket Sales for the Greenville Drive; Jackie Blakley, Dean at Tri-County Technical College; Kavita Borsum, Vice President of Unique Enterprises, Inc.; Travis Faulds, Assistant Vice President of Operations at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Kristen Horne, Assistant General Counsel for Pacific Life, Carolyn Harbison, Philanthropist and Community Leader; Rhonda Hunt, Michelin Environment & Prevention Manager; Robert “Will” Kennemur, Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch in Columbia, Maggie Meekins, Managing Attorney with South Carolina Department of Social Services; Leigh Ann Puryear, Duke Energy Community Relations Liaison; Liying Shen, BMW Manufacturing Senior Engineer; Shawn Williams, Chief Human Resources Officer, Richland Two School District, Columbia.

Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit gssc-mm.org.