Strengthening How We Serve: An Update on Our Organizational Realignment
As Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey continues to grow and evolve, we are always looking for ways to strengthen how we support Girl Scouts, families, volunteers, and communities across our region. With that in mind, we’re sharing an update on an organizational realignment designed to enhance how we deliver our mission today—while positioning our council for the future.
At its core, this update is about focus, clarity, and connection: ensuring our teams are structured in ways that support high-quality programming, deepen community engagement, and expand access to Girl Scouts across New Jersey.
What’s Changing—and Why
As part of this realignment, our former Girl Experience team has been renamed Mission Alignment. While the name is new, the heart of the work remains the same. This team continues to ensure consistency, quality, and alignment across the Girl Scout Leadership Experience—spanning camps, council programs, Highest Awards, and our council properties—so every Girl Scout has a connected, meaningful journey throughout their time in the movement.
At the same time, we’ve established a new External Affairs department. This team is focused on strengthening partnerships, increasing visibility for Girl Scouts, and deepening our connection with communities across New Jersey.
Together, Mission Alignment and External Affairs work hand in hand: one ensuring strong, consistent program delivery, and the other expanding opportunities, relationships, and access beyond our traditional spaces.
Building on the Momentum of the Girl Scout Leadership Center
This realignment also builds on the successful launch of the Girl Scout Leadership Center in Newark. Now fully operational, the Leadership Center serves as an active hub for community engagement, youth development, and partnership-driven programming—demonstrating what’s possible when mission, community, and collaboration come together.
That same spirit of partnership is guiding the work of External Affairs.
Leadership and Statewide Collaboration
External Affairs is led by Tenisha Malcolm-Wint, who has been named Vice President with the creation of this role. Drawing on her experience guiding the development and opening of the Leadership Center, Tenisha will lead efforts to strengthen strategic partnerships, deepen community engagement, and increase awareness of the Girl Scout experience statewide.
In addition to her role at Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey, Tenisha will also serve as a coordinating point for external relations and advocacy efforts across all four Girl Scout councils in New Jersey. In this capacity, she will help foster collaboration, support shared advocacy priorities, and engage with stakeholders whose work impacts girls and youth across the state.
Expanding Access and Community Impact
A key part of this work includes community-facing initiatives like the Girl Scouts on the Go! Mobile Classroom, Powered by Kean University, which brings hands-on, immersive programming directly to schools, community organizations, and local events—meeting girls where they are and introducing new audiences to the Girl Scout experience.
External Affairs will also continue to support the New Jersey Girl Report, a collaborative initiative of all four Girl Scout councils in the state. The report elevates the voices and experiences of youth across New Jersey and helps inform partnerships, programs, and advocacy grounded in real data and lived experience.
What This Means for Our Community
While our internal structure is evolving, our commitment to Girl Scouts, families, volunteers, and partners remains steady and unchanged. This realignment is designed to strengthen how we work—so we can continue delivering high-quality programs, expanding access, and creating opportunities for girls to grow into individuals of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.
We’re excited about what’s ahead and grateful to be moving forward together—focused, aligned, and ready for what’s next.
January 20, 2026
