Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois welcomes new members to its board of directors

By Tribune Staff • Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois (GSofSI) welcomes three new members to their Board of Directors: Members-at-Large Erin Barriger and Abigail Zajac, as well as ex-officio Girl Board Member Anna Kennedy. They were elected by council delegates during the organization’s annual meeting this spring. GSofSI’s Board of Directors assist the council with strategic planning, financial oversight, fund development, and interaction with the community.

Erin Barriger is the Director of Human Resources at Illinois-American Water. She graduated from Miami University in 2001 with an accounting degree and Spanish minor then earned a Master’s of Business Administration from Webster University in 2009. She enjoyed a 20-year career in accounting/finance before transitioning to human resources during the past four years. Erin also has volunteered at non-profit organizations in St. Clair County as a member of the Junior Service Club of St. Clair County over the last 15 years. She lives in Millstadt, with her high school sweetheart, Matt, and 14-year-old twins, Max and Vivian.

Abigail Zajac is an education reporter for the Edwardsville Intelligencer, covering K–12 and higher education policy, schools and student issues. She holds a master’s degree in writing from Missouri State University. Her journalism and reported essays have appeared in outlets including the Springfield Daily Citizen, Youth Be Heard and Arcadiana. She was a Girl Scout from Daisy-Ambassadors, and has earned her Bronze Award, Silver Award and Gold Award. She wants to give back to Girl Scouts after her experiences in the Movement. She is from Edwardsville.

This fall, Anna Kennedy will be a Girl Scout Ambassador and a junior at Waterloo High School. She is involved in many extracurricular activities at her school, including speech and drama and will also serve as speech captain during the upcoming school year. Anna has earned her Bronze Award, Silver Award and Gold Award as a Girl Scout and currently mentors a Daisy Troop. As an ex-officio Girl Board Member, Anna will not vote but will share the girl member’s perspective on important topics and serve as a link between membership and the board of directors.

“We are so grateful to have Erin, Abigail and Anna join our Board,” said CEO Loretta Graham. “Their talents and commitment to service will help us fulfill our Mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.”