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Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast CEO, Tracy Keller
Tracy Keller, a 2004 graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics, serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast.
Tracy earned a managerial certificate from the Academy for Nonprofit Excellence in 2007, and, in 2007, she was selected from an elite group of Girl Scout CEO’s to attend a Strategic Leader Seminar at the United States Army War College, sponsored by Columbia University Business School. In 2009, she graduated from the Hampton Roads Chambers of Commerce’s Lead program. She was selected as one of the “Top 40 Leaders under 40” by Inside Business Magazine in 2008.
Her professional membership and appointments include: National Chair of the Association of the Executive Girl Scout Staff since 2008; Women’s Division Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce; Rotary Club of Great Bridge; City of Chesapeake Mayor’s Task Force for the Prevention of Gangs; City of Chesapeake Human Services Advisory Board and United Way of South Hampton Roads Young Leaders Society.
Tracy and her husband Dan reside in Chesapeake and are foster parents to four young children.
While we all appreciate gifts during the holiday season,
Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast (GSCCC) is grateful for all we receive throughout the year. Time and money are donated every day by those who care about making a difference in the lives of girls. Some of those gifts come from area businesses. This year, Kohl’s Department Stores added Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast as a non-profit that benefits from its corporate volunteer program. Teams of Kohl volunteers helped during the Strike Out Bullying events, and many of those volunteers want to return to help at future events.
Having an employee volunteer program, such as the one Kohl’s operates, can maximize a company’s charitable giving, and volunteerism can help a company maintain its commitment to the community -- even in lean economic times. Research shows that while charitable giving often rises and falls with a company's profits, volunteer programs tend to be more stable.
Some companies may choose the charitable organizations they support. Others encourage employees to find organizations that match their individual interests. A company may evaluate requests from nonprofit organizations – such as Girl Scouts - and post those it approves on a bulletin board or in a broadcast e-mail. It's then up to interested employees to make their own arrangements. GSCCC has been successful in getting such volunteers with the help of friends, such as board members, who have opened the door for us in their workplace.
Another way companies can support volunteerism is by making a financial contribution to a nonprofit organization as a "match" for an employee's volunteer time. Usually, companies will have a process in place where an employee can make an application for the funds to any qualified 501(c)(3) organization at which an employee has volunteered 40 or more hours during a year. Some area businesses, such as Walmart, do offer matching gift programs. We would love to add others.
If your place of business or work offers volunteer programs or matching gift opportunities, please let me know. We welcome opportunities to help others find their volunteer “match,” whether it be in time or dollars. | 
