Council Leadership

The Board of Directors is the governing body for Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road and serves as the advising management on financial and policy issues that shape the Council's strategic plans.

Executive Committee

Karen Greenwell is a Girl Scout Alum and a partner at the law firm of Wyatt Tarrant & Combs LLP concentrating on the mineral and energy industry. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association, where she serves as the Chair of its legal committee. Karen is an adjunct professor at the University of Kentucky – College of Law teaching Energy Law and Policy. She is a frequent speaker and author for her broad knowledge of energy-related topics.

Kathleen Regan is a Highest Award First Class Girl Scout who grew up in the Wilderness Road Council, starting as a Brownie in second grade and continuing through her senior year in high school. In 2012, she joined the Board of Directors of Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council. As an Alum of both Camp Judy Layne and Camp Shawano, she is a staunch advocate of GSKWR’s camp properties and programs. A retired environmental engineer, she also stays passionate with her involvement in STEM education programs. Kathleen is a role model and mother of two of her very own Girl Scouts.

Karen Bowie is an enthusiastic engineer who works in the Performance and Air Quality Control Department for LGE-KU’s Corporate Generation Engineering unit. A graduate of the University of Kentucky – College of Engineering in 2009 with a BS in Chemical Engineering, Karen’s varied job experiences include many years in the finance and insurance industries, internships at Toyota Motor Manufacturing of America and Ceradyne Inc., and employment as an engineering technician at the University of Kentucky’s Center for Applied Energy Research. The fourth of eight siblings, she is a history buff who plays violin and sings. Karen shares, “I am a product of the inner city and, without dedicated people volunteering their time, I would not be the woman I am today.”

Jaclyn Badeau, CPA, CGMA, MBA, EQ Certified, is the President of Badeau Consulting, with a vision to Motivate, Inspire, Lead, and EmpowerTM others by providing emotional intelligence (EQ) based coaching, speaking engagements, leadership course facilitation, and consulting in the learning and development space. Prior to launching her own company, she spent over 6 years in public accounting leading the firm’s audit training, career counseling various staff, and assisting clients with business enhancement projects across 5 industries. Jaclyn also worked at a global public manufacturing and retail company for over 8 years in 4 different roles including Controllership and Internal Audit leading various talent management strategic initiatives, providing coaching and mentoring to over 25 people, and serving as a business risk advisor to many.

Susie Basham, a graduate of EKU with a degree in Mass Communications, is a Realtor with the Agency, Real Estate Advisors. She specializes in residential real estate and is a member of the Top Producer club.  She is currently on the board of Women Leading Kentucky. She is also involved with Bluegrass Council of the Blind, Junior Achievement, and PGA Barbasol Championship as a chairperson. She received the Volunteer of the year for 2019. Susie has always believed that to be an effective leader you must first be a servant. Her mother was a Girl scout and then was Susie’s Leader when she was a Girl Scout. Susie carried on the tradition and became a leader when her daughter, Kristina started Daisy Scouts. She led Kristina’s troop through high school and is now the proud mom of a Gold Award Girl Scout. Susie enjoyed her years at Camp Shawano and Girl Scouts mean a lot to her whole family.

Members-At-Large

Carol Beirne currently serves as the Director of Alumni Relations and Development at Beechwood Independent Schools. She has spent much of her career working in the field of public education from Lexington, Kentucky to Cincinnati, Ohio. Carol is a Past President of Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council. Her community service also includes service on the boards of Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Friends and Ft. Mitchell Country Club, and she is the former President of the MS Society. She continues to be a lifelong volunteer for her church, Immanuel United Methodist Church in Fort Mitchell.

Jeanne Berger is an experienced realtor with a demonstrated history of working in the real estate industry. A mother of three daughters, Jeanne enjoys giving back to the community through her involvement with the Beechwood Independent Schools Board of Education, where she sits as a chair member. Along with her many community contributions, she is a member of the Covington Rotary Club.

Chad Bilz is a lifelong resident of Northern Kentucky and currently lives in Villa Hills with his family. A causality and commercial property insurance professional, Chad started Focus Insurance and Risk Management Solutions in 2015. In January 2020, Focus Insurance partnered with Gartman Insurance to form Gartman and Bilz Insurance & Risk Management, focusing on general commercial insurance, personal insurance, life insurance, commercial and personal risk management, as well as insurance consulting. He is currently the Executive Vice President at Houchens Insurance Group.

Diane Curry is a Girl Scout Alum and lifelong resident of Lexington and Stuart, Florida. She is a community volunteer who has served on the board of Chrysalis House since 1984. Diane’s other involvement includes the Advisory Board of the Triangle Foundation and the Kentucky Equine Humane Center in Lexington, as well as Children’s Hibiscus Center in Stuart, Florida and past board member of the Heart Foundation of Martin County, Florida.

Building upon her wide range of experiences in managing, engineering and technology development, Sandra McCain manages EP Technology Development in Lexmark's Research and Development organization. She is a mentor in the Lexington Community and volunteers to promote STEM careers. She has worked with United Way, charing the 2011 Lexmark United Way campaign, and UBMS (Upward Bound Math-Science Program). Service on the Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road Board since 2012, Sandra is a member of the Board of Directors for the Kentucky Science Center and Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Project. 

Rebecca McDonough is an attorney practicing Banking, Construction, and Real Estate law at Dressman Benzinger LaVelle psc (DBL Law) in Cincinnati. Prior to becoming an attorney, Rebecca worked with arts and education nonprofit organizations throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. Today, she continues her involvement with and service to these organizations through volunteerism.

Caryl Pfeiffer joined Kentucky Utilities in August 1980 and is currently the Director of Corporate Fuels and By-Products for LGE-KU Energy LLC. Prior to her position in Fuels, Caryl served in several capacities with the latest being the Director of Environmental Affairs from 1998 to 2003. Before coming to Kentucky Utilities, Caryl worked for Columbus & Southern Ohio Electric Company as an Environmental Specialist from 1977 to 1980, and was with the University of Illinois from 1976 to 1977 as a Research Assistant.

Eileen O'Brien is an attorney practicing in Lexington with Osborne Fletcher PLLC. A former Girl Scout, Eileen also serves on the boards of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, Chrysalis House and the Kentucky Nonprofit Network. 

Julie is passionate about equity and inclusion and elevating the representation of girls and women throughout the workforce pipeline. With over 11 years of experience with Information Technology, Julie consistently demonstrates a superb aptitude for delivering results and taking ownership of tasks at hand. Julie is extremely successful at assessing systems for vulnerabilities/risks and translating this information into persuasive recommendations that lead clients and stakeholders to adopt new strategies to manage systems resiliency and reduce security risks. Julie brings her expertise in relationship development, navigating increasingly complex networks of stakeholders, and adeptly bridging communication gaps to the board. 

Liz Wurtenberger graduated from Syracuse University with a BS '06 and MSA '07 in Accounting, and is a CPA in CA, MA, NC and OH. She is a Tax Director at PwC, where she has worked since 2007, auditing tax provisions of multinational corporations and providing tax consulting services to clients in a variety of industries. Liz is a Gold Award recipient and lifetime member of the Girl Scouts. She has been involved with Girl Scouts since age 5 including serving as an adult volunteer for councils in 5 different states. As the mother of 2 young children and recent Kentucky transplant, she is excited to expand her involvement in the community.

Teen Board Members

Mary Lara Hardesty is a second year Ambassador Girl Scout; this is her 13th year in Girl Scouts. She has completed both her Silver and Gold Awards and was a member of the National G-Team. She was the 2021 Spirit of Girl Scouting recipient. She is planning to do two Destinations trips next summer, one to the Our Chalet World Center in Switzerland and one to the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. She is excited to travel internationally for the first time and to meet new people. She is a member of the Bluegrass TLC and the new Teen Advisory Committee.

Emersen Whiteley is a Senior Girl Scout, and has been a Girl Scout since she was a Daisy. After 9 years of Girl Scouting, she has completed her Bronze and Silver Awards, and is currently working on her Gold Award! She is planning to take a destinations trip to Georgia in 2022 for a horseback riding adventure. She is most excited about learning new skills on horseback, and meeting other Girl Scouts! She is a member of the Teen Leadership Council and Teen Advisory Committee. She loves going to Girl Scout Camp at Camp Judy Layne!

Jess Bell is an Ambassador Girl Scout and has been a Girl Scout for the past four years where she has learned so much about finances, the outdoors, and serving her community; she also serves as a member of the Teen Advisory Committee. Jess earned her Silver Award by remodeling a room at her local church for the youth group, and even though COVID presented obstacles, through perseverance she was able to complete her project. Jess is quoted saying “Girl Scouts has opened and continues to open my heart in many ways. Whether it is helping people in need or just meeting amazing people who inspire me.”