The Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania (GSEP) honored four local Berks County women leaders at the DoubleTree Hotel Reading on Thursday, April 13, 2023. The event, which was part of GSEP’s annual Take the Lead Berks County program, celebrated the honorees’ commitment to exemplifying courage, confidence, and character to help make the world a better place.
The four women leaders who were honored this year are: Desha Dickson – Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Community Wellness, Tower Health, Virginia Dodge, CMM – President and Owner, VA Productions, Inc., Virginia T. Rush – Vice President, The Wyomissing Foundation, Adelle L. Schade, MS, M.Ed. – Dean of Pre-College & Summer Programs, Albright College and Founder, Total Experience Learning.
Through the Take the Lead program, four Girl Scouts were matched with the honorees to learn more about how they navigate their careers as women and how they better the Berks County community in diverse ways. The Girl Scouts and honorees met virtually for several months to discuss their experiences, and they also met in person at the Take the Lead event.

The Take the Lead event was transformed into a Girl Scout Camp theme, and the night was filled with camp activities, networking, and, of course, Girl Scout Cookies! The honorees were presented with awards, and they also had the opportunity to share their stories with the audience.
The Take the Lead program is one of many ways that GSEP is working to empower girls to be leaders. Through this program and others, GSEP is helping girls to develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed in life.