Girl Scouts to Recognize 10 Outstanding Female Leaders Sept. 23

Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore will honor 10 successful young women, including five from Monmouth County, at the fifth annual Phenomenal Women Under 40 event on September 23 at the organization’s Program Activity Center in Farmingdale.

A nonprofit organization committed to nurturing young leaders, Girl Scouts will present its Phenom Award to honorees in recognition of their career and community accomplishments to date, as well as the potential of what they might achieve in their future. All proceeds from the charitable event will help provide a Girl Scout leadership experience for every girl who wants to become one, and support new virtual programs created in response to COVID-19.

“We are proud to shine the light on 10 remarkable women, who reflect Girl Scout’s focus on building women of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place,” said Eileen Higgins, chief executive officer, Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore. “Their achievements at work and in the community are inspiring and demonstrate to Girl Scouts what it means to be a leader.”

Recipients of the Phenom Award are from Monmouth and Ocean counties and represent a wide range of businesses and nonprofit organizations in central New Jersey. They all share a passion for community service. The nominees were selected from a public nomination process that considered their leadership in the workplace, volunteerism, as well as demonstrated hard work and dedication necessary to be a success.

The 2020 Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Phenom Award recipients from Monmouth County are:

• Lindsey Carver, Farmingdale, production marketing manager for Bristol Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical in Princeton, and troop leader of Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore Brownie Troop 1066.
• Amy Cerulo, Middletown, principal of Schroth School, part of the LADACIN Network in Wanamassa, and leader of a local running group for women.
• Carley Dietrick, Oceanport, business development representative at Seacrest Recovery Center in Eatontown, volunteer mentor and coordinator of Tigger House Foundation’s Student Alliance program in Red Bank, and a former Girl Scout.
• Susan Pagano, Howell, program manager of business career and technology training at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, and founder of The Food Recovery Network at Monmouth University.
• Lauren Staub, Asbury Park, owner of The Party Fairy LLC, volunteer for organizations across New Jersey to help combat opioid addiction and a former Girl Scout.

Honorees from Ocean County are:

• Victoria Berner, Toms River, nurse manager at Ocean Medical Center in Brick Township, and volunteer with Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey.
• Keely Davenport, Toms River, associate director of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and co-founder of Exit 82 Theater Company, both in Toms River, and a former Girl Scout.
• Georgette Kyriacou, Toms River, director of engineering consulting at FWH Consulting in Toms River, a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserve, and president of the Women’s Leadership Committee of the Community Associations Institute of New Jersey.
• Lindsey Most is a detective with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office in Toms River, volunteer fundraiser for many causes including multiple sclerosis, the American Heart Association, All About Autism, and the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, and a former Girl Scout.
• Chelsea Pascoe, Pine Beach, founder and president of By The Sea Media in Forked River, freelance writer, and former Girl Scout. She lends a hand to the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and a local networking group.

In keeping with COVID-19 safety guidelines, this year’s event will take place outdoors under a festive tent that will adjoin the open-air activity center. Guests will enjoy an elegant, boxed picnic dinner with individual appetizers and desserts and a mobile bar with beer and wine.

Chairwomen for the Phenomenal Women Under 40 event are past Phenom recipients: Jamie Bertram, Lakewood BlueClaws; Kate Dowd, New Jersey Resources; and Stephanie Toal, OceanFirst Foundation.

The event will take place from 6- 8 p.m. Tickets are $85 and may be purchased along with sponsorships at gsfun.org/phenom. For questions or more information about the event or honorees, e-mail phenom@gsfun.org or call (800) 785-2090.

About Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore
Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore serves more than 10,000 girls ages 5-18 in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing a time-tested leadership experience that inspires and motivates them to take action for themselves and their communities. For 108 years, Girl Scouts has helped girls become women of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. For information on how to join, volunteer, partner, or donate, visit gsfun.org or call (800) 785-2090.