Four women will be honored by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania at its 2024 Take the Lead Berks County, the organization announced.
The four business and community leaders exemplify the Girl Scouts’ mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place, according to a release.
Officials said the honorees serve the county and its residents not only in their professional capacities, but also through their commitment to the causes and communities they support.
• Auria Bradley, associate vice president of workforce and continuing education for Reading Area Community College. During Bradley’s more than 20 years at RACC, she has held various positions in student affairs, including admissions and career counselor, director of literacy programs, and GED instructor.
Throughout her career, Bradley has focused on adult education and workforce training with a desire to bridge the communication and business-critical skills gap in the workplace and establish innovative workforce training programs that support the local community. Driven by a devotion to learning and making connections, she works with students to determine their passions and help identify areas where they can make a difference. Her belief in the power of workforce training shines through her collaborations with the Berks County Workforce Development Board, employees and community organizations.
• Dr. Glynis A. Fitzgerald, president, Alvernia University. Fitzgerald is the university’s eighth president and first female president in more than 30 years. Since coming to the campus in 2019 as the chief academic officer, she has been dedicated to recruiting world-class faculty talent and implementing the university’s strategic efforts to improve student success through transformed education.
Working closely with faculty, staff and academic advisers, Fitzgerald successfully applied policy and procedural changes and course redesigns to significantly impact progression rates, graduation and employment, enhancing the college experience for students. Throughout her career, she has mentored women at all stages of their lives, helping them achieve both personal and professional goals and empowering those around her to challenge themselves and take risks to achieve success.
• Amanda J. Hornberger, chief operating officer, Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks. Hornberger oversees the daily operations of the Federation, Lakin Preschool and the Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Reading/Berks.
She also serves as secretary of the board for Acts of Generosity and is a member of the Greater Reading Unity Coalition. Passionate about fighting hate and antisemitism, Hornberger has dedicated her professional career to Jewish programming, interfaith projects and Holocaust education. Through her passion, she is paving the way for women and families to connect with their own beliefs through interfaith educational opportunities and to practice acceptance of all religious views in the community.
• Christi Sychterz Terefenko, co-founder and executive director, VOiCEup Berks. As director of a nonprofit that seeks to connect people to meaningful volunteer and service-learning opportunities, Terefenko looks to inspire youth in Berks to turn to service and search for ways to volunteer.
Her involvement in youth projects is a testament to her passion for providing young people in the community, especially young women, with a space to speak their truth and empower them to have confidence in leading by example. Terfenko has volunteered for many local organizations and served on several boards, using her experience in medical research, proposal writing and organizational leadership to assist nonprofits in creating positive change in the community.
“Our 2024 Take the Lead Berks County honorees have impacted Berks County through their authentic leadership journeys,” Kim E. Fraites-Dow, CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, said in the statement. “Their pursuit of excellence, commitment to service and passion for making the community better inspire us all and we are thrilled to honor them this year.”
The honorees are exemplary leaders who serve as incredible role models for Girl Scouts, who are building their courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place, Fraites-Dow said.
Take the Lead is more than just an opportunity to recognize women leaders, the release said. It’s also a unique leadership opportunity for Girl Scouts.
As part of the program, high school-aged Girl Scouts are paired with each honoree and shadow them for a day to gain valuable career and leadership insights and receive guidance on building their professional network.
The girls are selected through a competitive application and interview process. They later reflect on the experience and deliver presentations at the event.
Girls will serve as presenters, emcees, event hosts, social media influencers and provide entertainment at the Girl Scout-led event.
Take the Lead is co-chaired by Andi Funk, executive vice president and chief financial officer at EnerSys, and Virginia Rush, vice president of The Wyomissing Foundation.
The event will highlight the important program pillars of Girl Scouting, including science, technology, engineering and math education, or STEM; outdoor and life skills and entrepreneurship.
Proceeds from the event in April at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, 701 Penn St, will support Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania.
Source: Berkshire mont
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