Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

Girl Scouts have new leader, council

New CEO was a Girl Guide in India

A woman who spent her childhood as a Girl Guide in India and later helped develop the Health Care for the Homeless Coalition in St. Louis has been named the first chief executive officer of the newly merged Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois.

The board of directors of the Girls Scouts of Southern Illinois ratified Villie M. Appoo to lead the organization. The new organization began operations on Oct. 1 after a yearlong process of merging the Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council with the Girls Scouts of Shagbark Council into one organization.

The first official day for the new organization began at 6:56 a.m. Oct. 1 during a Sunrise Flag and Candle Ceremony in Glen Carbon and ended with a Sunset Flag and Candle Ceremony in Mount Vernon at 6:38 p.m.

The new organization serves approximately 16,000 girls and 4,800 adult volunteers in 40 counties in Southern Illinois.

"I feel privileged to have this exciting opportunity to be a part of the transformation of two excellent Girl Scout Councils into the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois," Appoo said. "I want the GSSI to become the premier leadership experience for our girls -- an organization of choice that is dynamic, vibrant and relevant and meets the needs of our girls. The leadership opportunities and challenges for growth we provide our girls today will have a profound impact on the women they will be tomorrow - and their subsequent influence on their families, their community, their nation and the world."

The restructuring is part of a national Girl Scouts of the USA initiative to create councils that are equipped to provide compelling, contemporary and relevant experiences that meet the needs of girls in today's fast-changing world.

"I realize that change, any change, creates anxiety and uncertainty for most people and is one of the most significant stressors in our lives," Appoo said. "I want Girl Scout staff and volunteers to feel the same pride and ownership of the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois as they did for their previous councils. My door is always open and I look forward to working with everyone to serve our girls and our communities. Together, we can make the Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois truly extraordinary!"

Appoo was a Girl Guide, another name for a Girl Scout, in India from first grade through high school.

"We met every Friday evening after school and spent many weekends as volunteers for numerous causes and charities."

She remembers working with the Society for the Education of the Crippled during her years as a Girl Guide. The society operated a school for physically challenged children, Appoo said.

"We took them camping one year, which was a fantastic experience for both them and for us," Appoo said. "Many of these children had never been away from home, and had never gone out of town on a train and taking care of them 24/7 was a great responsibility as well as a very enriching experience."

Appoo has two children, Brian and Katie. Her extended family still lives in Mumbai, India, and she has a brother who lives in Sydney, Australia with his family. In her spare time, Appoo enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures and societies.

Her experiences with the Girl Guides were instrumental in her decision to pursue a career in social work, she said. A Washington University graduate, Appoo has a master's degree in social work. She began her career at Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers Inc. in St. Louis in 1976 as a community organization supervisor. She served as director of Neighborhood Services for Grace Hill Settlement House from 1981 to 1985 and has written grants to develop programs to build the Jackson Park Apartments, develop the System to Assure Elderly Services program and develop the Soulard Health Center.

She also played a key role in developing the Health Care for the Homeless Coalition in St. Louis and helped Grace Hill become one of country's the first recipients of the Health Care for the Homeless grant.

She ended her time at Grace Hill Neighborhood Health Centers as executive vice president and chief operating officer of planning and development and most recently served as a consultant to federally funded community health centers that served the homeless and residents of public housing.

For more information about the new Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois organization, visit www.gsofsi.org.