New C.E.O. Appointed to Lead Girl Scouts of North
East Ohio
We are so very pleased to announce
that Daisy L. Alford-Smith, Ph.D., has been
appointed as Chief Executive Officer for Girl Scouts
of North East Ohio (GSNEO). Alford-Smith assumed
her new position with our council on August 20, 2007
and is headquartered in the GSNEO Central Region
Service Center in Akron.
Alford-Smith is an executive level
decision-maker with strong fiscal, administrative,
public health and human services program and
strategic management expertise. “I am extremely
excited about this new opportunity,” said
Alford-Smith. “The realignment is more than
jurisdictional and personnel changes. It is all
about the girls. This movement, guided by our
members and volunteers, will ultimately provide an
increased level of consistency, financial stability,
and greater flexibility in order to enhance our
ability to build the Girl Scouts of the future.”
Alford-Smith earned a bachelor’s
degree in nursing from the State University of New
York; a master’s in technical education from The
University of Akron and a doctorate in urban
education from Cleveland State University. She most
recently served as the Chief Operating Officer with
the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing
Schools and the International Commission on Health
Care Professions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She has also served as Director of the Center for
Urban & Minority Health at Case Western Reserve
University. Many of you may also recognize her
from her distinguished accomplishments as the
Director of the Summit County Department of Jobs and
Family Services.
Alford-Smith brings a wealth of
knowledge and experience to our new council. Not
only is she adept in interfacing with national,
state and local policy-makers, government officials,
political strategists and business representatives,
she also has a keen ability to assess needs,
formulate plans and direct activities to reach goals
by managing decisively in diverse environments.
Perhaps most importantly, Alford-Smith is a people
person; her compassion for people of all ages and
backgrounds has been a common thread throughout her
illustrious career.
Recognized for her outstanding
accomplishments in the health and human services
arena locally, nationally and internationally,
Alford-Smith has been a consultant to the country of
Slovakia, assisting two major cities develop
citywide health plans; taught Leadership and
Administration at the University of Zimbabwe in
Africa and was a health consultant to the South
African government.
Alford-Smith’s numerous honors and awards include
the Joan L. Andrews Professional Service Award;
Crain’s Cleveland Business Leaders of Today Award;
the YWCA Greater Cleveland Women of Achievement
Award, The Plain Dealer’s Outstanding
Accomplishments Award and the Harold K. Stubbs
Humanitarian Award.
Dr. Alford-Smith and her husband,
Kenneth, reside in Aurora, Ohio and have a combined
family of five children and fourteen grandchildren.
We enthusiastically welcome Daisy L.
Alford-Smith as the new C.E.O of the Girl Scouts of
North East Ohio.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Council Realignment Committee
