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Future CEOs: Meet Nine Outstanding New Jersey Girl Scouts Whose Faces Appear on this Year’s Boxes of Girl Scout Cookie

The Edge - Special Edition, December 2020

An Exclusive Article for NJ ChamberEdge

Innovation comes in many sizes. When The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce honored women leaders in innovation at a virtual ceremony on Nov. 10, we also recognized nine outstanding girl scouts from across New Jersey. These girls have used innovation skills to sell cookies, solve problems and improve their communities. Their accomplishments are being recognized in one of the most prominent ways possible – with their photos on this year's boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.

Remember their names! These amazing girls are future CEOs and entrepreneurs who are already making their presence felt. Read more about them below. You may try to hire them someday.

 

Aimee GilAimee Gil – Cultivated a Love of Science

Aimee has been involved in Girl Scouts for more than a decade, and has used the leadership experiences and STEM-related projects she found in Girl Scouts to cultivate her love of science and medicine, which she plans to pursue in college.

 

Brenna McCormickBrenna McCormick – Selling Cookies has Taught her to Set Goals, Manage Money and Make Decisions

Brenna is a Girl Scout Cookie Boss. Selling cookies to family and friends has taught her to set goals, manage money and make decisions – skills that will serve her well in the future.

 

Bryana TurnerBryana Turner – Her Silver Award Project Supports Women in Need

Bryana's Silver Award project supported women in need. She credits Girl Scouts with helping her become an innovator by arming her with the knowledge and confidence to develop creative methods to challenge herself, especially as a successful entrepreneur in the Girl Scout’s Cookie Program.

 

Christel BurrellChristel Burrell – Girl Scouts Unleased Her Passion in Medicine, Which She Now Studies in College

Christel is a Gold Award Girl Scout whose Gold Award project – Wellness Appreciation Day – unleashed her passion for medicine, which she now studies in college. In Girl Scouts, Christel found opportunities that allowed her to be her authentic self without fear of judgment so that she could embrace new experiences, push boundaries and achieve personal growth.

 

Jacquelyn TrotmanJacquelyn Troutman – Developed the Poise and Confidence to Be a Problem Solver

Jacquelyn says the Girl Scout Media program helped her develop poise and confidence and it has taught her that unconventional thinking is essential to problem solving. Jacquelyn is an innovator who – through Girl Scouts – has learned to create solutions when existing ones are flawed, or when there are no solutions at all.

 

Madeleine FreundlichMadeleine Freundlich – Girl Scouts Propelled her into a College Major: Environmental Policy and Land Use

A backpacking adventure through Oregon on a Girl Scout & NASA program about astronomy made a lasting impression on Madeleine. It allowed her to work with girls from across the country and learn about innovative astronomical methods. Over 13 years as a Girl Scout, Madeleine developed the courage and confidence to pursue her passions, which now include a role at the Vassar Environmental Preserve and a college major in environmental policy and land use analysis.

 

Rihi JainRihi Jhain – Pushed Past Her Fears and Used Her Voice to Empower Others

Earning the Gold Award empowered Rihi to push past her fears and use her voice to empower others. Rihi says that Girl Scouts pushed her outside of her comfort zone and helped her build self-confidence. Ultimately, she discovered that nothing can prevent her from accomplishing her dreams.

 

Samantha DeMartinoSamantha DiMartino – Gained the Confidence to Push Boundaries

Samantha says taking risks while surrounded by supportive Girl Scouts gave her the confidence to push through personal boundaries and do things like teach STEM and serve as a master of ceremonies at large Girl Scouts events. She now describes herself a daily innovator. As for having her face on the Girl Scouts cookie box, she calls it life-changing. As a representative of the Girl Scout brand, she is part of something bigger than herself.

 

Samiyah Abu BakrSamiyah Abu Bakr – Helped Transform an Abandoned Newark Park into a Safe, Vibrant Place for Children

Samiyah considers her greatest Girl Scout accomplishment the Paint Newark Project, which transformed an abandoned Newark park into a safe, vibrant place for children to visit, play and create memories. She says Girl Scouts has presented her opportunities to try new things – including her recent service as a delegate representing New Jersey at the National Governing Meeting of Girl Scouts of the USA.

 

Ginny MarinoGinny Marino, CEO, Girls Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey: “We want Girls to Stand up and Advocate for Themselves and Their Ideas”

“Too often in our culture, innovative ideas and contributions made by women and girls aren’t recognized,” said Ginny Marino, CEO at Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey. “We want girls to stand up and advocate for themselves and their ideas, and to never be dismissed. Girl Scouting shows girls that their ideas are smart and workable, and that they can solve challenges before them. In short, it shows them that they are innovators.”

 

Responses for this article were edited for space and clarity.

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Newsmakers

Hackensack Meridian Health has received a $125 million donation from an anonymous benefactor, the largest gift ever given to a New Jersey health system. The money will support an expansion of Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune City. At the donor’s request, a new pavilion will be named for John K. Lloyd, the network’s former co-CEO who died in February 2024.

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has named Dr. William Holubek chief medical officer. Holubek, an emergency medicine physician by training, brings more than a decade of executive experience, previously serving as chief medical officer of Boca Raton Regional Hospital in Florida. He also held the role at University Hospital in Newark and served as vice president of medical affairs and CMO at Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center.

The Hackensack Meridian Center for Discovery and Innovation has received a five-year, $3.7 million federal grant to expand lung cancer screening among high-risk populations.

RWJBarnabas Health and Monmouth Medical Center have opened a new 'Food Farmacy' at Monmouth Medical's Alexander Pavilion. It's the health system’s sixth location providing patients with nutritious food and individualized nutrition counseling.

Rutgers University and RWJBarnabas Health launched the Rutgers/RWJBarnabas Health Innovation Hub, powered by Amazon Web Services. Based at the Health and Life Science Exchange in New Brunswick, the hub will bring together students, clinicians, researchers and tech experts to address health care challenges.

Three New Jersey children’s hospitals have earned top rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best Children’s Hospitals list. Hackensack Meridian Health’s Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital and K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, considered as a single entity, tied for No. 1 in New Jersey with The Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (part of RWJBarnabas Health). Atlantic Health’s Goryeb Children’s Hospital ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 6 in the NYC region.

Princeton University and NJIT have been named New Jersey’s top-ranked private and public universities in TIME magazine’s inaugural 'America’s Best Colleges 2026-2027' rankings. Princeton landed at No. 4 nationally among all 500 ranked schools; NJIT came in at No. 95 overall and No. 38 among public institutions nationwide, making it the state’s highest-ranked public university on the list.

Stockton University has completed a $24 million expansion and renovation of the Richard E. Bjork Library and Learning Commons at its Galloway campus. The project, which took two years, was completed in time for the fall 2026 semester.

Montclair State University has opened a virtual reality learning facility in partnership with Dreamscape Learn. The center is designed to expand experiential learning and prepare students for digital media careers.  

United Airlines has launched a time-saving benefit for customers: the ability to order food, drinks and other travel essentials in advance through the United app and have their order waiting at the gate.

The UMC Foundation has promoted longtime staff members Gary Engelstad to senior director of giving and Rebecca Roe to senior foundation director. Engelstad, with more than 30 years of experience in nonprofit senior housing and philanthropy, will focus on donor relationships and corporate sponsorships. Roe, who joined the foundation in 2013, will oversee strategic planning, staff management and cross-functional coordination.

Jennifer D’Angelo has been named interim president of the New Jersey Innovation Institute, an NJIT subsidiary founded in 2014 to accelerate technology development and connect private enterprise with university resources. D’Angelo will assume the role Sept. 21.

Novo Nordisk said it is rebranding its name to "Novo" and updating its corporate culture. Novo also announced a broader company rebrand focused around the phrase "Lasting Health Starts Now," which promotes the idea that patients should make progress toward long-term well-being immediately rather than later.

The New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJCPA) has launched its 17th food drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Organized by the NJCPA’s Emerging Leaders Council, the food drive runs until Nov. 16.

JAG Physical Therapy has opened new clinics in North Brunswick, Old Bridge and Whiting, expanding access to rehabilitative and orthopedic services in Middlesex and Ocean counties. The additions bring JAG’s regional footprint to more than 180 locations.

Debra Rosen, a partner at Archer, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Honorable Joseph M. Nardi Jr. Distinguished Service Award from the Rutgers Law School-Camden Alumni Association. Rosen, who has spent 40 years at Archer, focuses on environmental and toxic tort litigation, compliance and due diligence. She serves on the firm’s Board of Directors and Equity and Inclusion.

Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis has formed a new practice team focused on legal services related to data center projects. Led by Barbara Koonz, the team can serve as lead counsel or as local New Jersey counsel for national and international law firms and developers.

Secaucus-based Quest Diagnostics has partnered with Apple to allow Apple's Health app users to purchase and schedule biomarker testing through the platform later this year. The service will offer a $119 laboratory panel measuring 50 biomarkers related to organ function and cardiometabolic health.

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