Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania announces its 2024 Take the Lead Lehigh Valley honorees, women who exemplify the Girl Scouts’ mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

This year’s honorees are leaders in their industry and the community, who serve Lehigh Valley and its residents not only as part of their professional careers but also through their commitment to the causes and communities they support. The following honorees will be honored at a special, Girl Scout-led event at the ArtQuest™ Center at SteelStacks on April 23:

• Carmen Bell, senior director of Healthy Aging, United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley: As an influential member of the Lehigh Valley Alliance on Aging, Bell contributed to the strategic formation of Age-Friendly Lehigh Valley. She currently leads the age-friendly initiative in the community to help fulfill United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s mission to support older adults and caregivers via healthy aging resources and programs. She envisions a Lehigh Valley that is safe, inclusive, and respectful for people of all ages, which led to the release of the Age-Friendly LV Action Plan – certified by AARP and the World Health Organization.

• Katarah A. Jordan, Director, The James Lawson Freedom School: As director of The James Lawson Freedom School, Jordan provides scholars with an enriching learning experience designed to foster mastery and a love for one’s community.

Centering her work on community collaboration and exploratory learning, she is dedicated to pushing forward a research-based and holistic multicultural program model that supports scholars, their families, and their communities.

Jordan works towards creating spaces where young women, especially girls from marginalized communities, can feel the power of confidence to push them forward into becoming positive influences in the world.

• Danielle M. Joseph, Executive Vice President, Diversity Councils, The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce: In her position, Danielle manages and oversees the African American Business Leaders Council, Hispanic Chamber, LGBTQ Business Council, Women’s Business Council, Young Professionals Council, and the newly formed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Collaborative. Joseph is passionate about dedicating her career to making the Lehigh Valley an inclusive place, specifically by helping start the LGBTQ Business Council as well as the African American Business Leaders Council. Through her leadership, Danielle has consistently promoted an environment where everyone, especially women, feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute to make a positive impact in the community.

• Stephanie Sherry, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Olympus Corporation of the Americas: Stephanie currently oversees Olympus Corporation of the Americas’ corporate and medical communications function encompassing public relations, internal communications, corporate social responsibility, and more across all Olympus organizations in North and South America. She embodies the core values of Olympus by serving as a mentor and creating a trustworthy work experience with the women on her team, inspiring future leaders of the workforce to follow in her footsteps. Sherry is passionate about giving back to her community, serving on the Board of Directors for the YWCA Allentown, a member of the Da Vinci Science Center’s Executive Committee and an active committee member for Girl Scouts of Eastern Pa’s Take the Lead event.

“Our 2024 Take the Lead Lehigh Valley honorees have impacted Lehigh Valley through their authentic leadership journeys. 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,” said Kim E. Fraites-Dow, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania. As part of the program, high school-aged Girl Scouts are paired with each honoree to shadow them for a day, gain valuable career and leadership insights, and receive guidance on building their professional network. The girls, who are selected through a competitive application and interview process, then creatively reflect on the experience and deliver presentations at the event. In addition, Girl Scouts will serve as presenters, emcees, event hosts, social media influencers, and chorus at the event.

“Our Take the Lead Lehigh Valley event raises important funds for Girl Scouting in Eastern Pennsylvania, which makes this a highly anticipated ceremony every year. Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania is incredibly grateful to our event co-chairs and committee members who work diligently to support programs for Girl Scouts across the region, ensuring that every girl has access to the Girl Scout Leadership Experience,” said Fraites-Dow.

This year, GSEP will highlight the important program pillars of Girl Scouting, STEM, the Outdoors, Life Skills, and Entrepreneurship as guests are welcomed to join Troop Take the Lead and engage in Girl Scout-led activities throughout a themed cocktail reception followed by an inspiring program celebrating outstanding leaders and girls making a difference in our community.

For more information about Take the Lead sponsorships and tickets, visit www.gsep.org/takethelead or call 267-281-5610.