Girl Scouts of Utah CEO emphasizes girls' potential

Cathleen Sparrow

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Cathleen Sparrow, CEO of Girl Scouts of Utah, greets a Daisy during a scouting event at the Utah State Capitol. Courtesy photo/Cathleen Sparrow

SALT LAKE CITY — Cathleen Sparrow was inspired to take the position of chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of Utah in 2010 when she realized that Girl Scouting embodied what her career and her life had been about: great women mentors and women leaders.

Girl Scouts of Utah has changed Sparrow’s life, she said. "I have an incredible staff that I work with daily and they inspire me to be a better person, a better leader and a better woman," said Sparrow, a member of Saint Thomas More Parish. "But I also have 1,500 volunteers who work with girls one on one, and when I see the contributions, service and dedication they have for the girls, it makes me want to work harder. But then I see the girls, and they are the face of our future. To see how talented they are and see what they can do is humbling because they are going to change our world and it humbles me to be a part of that process."

Girl Scouts of Utah was a good fit for her, she said. "It gave me an opportunity to give back and have a job that I felt empowered about and that I felt passionate about. Girls, especially in Utah, need good role models and the job fit with my personal value system."

Sparrow graduated from Saint Joseph Catholic High School in Ogden in the early 1970s, during a time when girls were empowered to do what they wanted to do, she said. "The school focused on the future and basically taught me that I could do and be anything, while fostering within me a good ethical and value system. That gave me a good foundation and I believe that Girl Scouting does that for girls as well."

If girls have family, education and faith, they have the foundation to move forward, said Sparrow. "Some girls don’t have all three, so in Girl Scouting we teach them to think for themselves and inspire change by showing them they can be leaders today; they don’t have to wait until they grow up. They can take a stand against bullying, or solve a problem in their community, or do service."

The Girl Scout initiative programs include "Be a Friend First," an anti-bullying program to help middle school girls understand the importance of taking a stand against bullying. A healthy living initiative helps girls choose good role models and helps them to realize what they see in the media isn’t always real. And the STEM program encourages girls to excel in math, science, technology and engineering.

The results of a study done by the National Girl Scouts organization showed that its members are generally more satisfied, finish college more often, have happier family lives, are more civic minded and community engaged, Sparrow said.

"This is because Girl Scouting teaches service and teaches about being a part of a greater good," she said. "The organization helps girls reach their fullest potential and shows them there are opportunities beyond their dreams whether they are the CEO of their home or a Fortune 500 company."

Sparrow has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience, and a background of working in government, private and nonprofit organizations in the fields of hospitality and fund raising. She was working at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden as a regional executive in fund raising before taking her current position.

Sparrow grew up in California and relocated to Utah in 1998. She earned a bachelor’s degree from San Jose State University in recreation administration.