Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois is governed by community leaders across the council's 38 counties.
Officers 
Jill Dashner, Chair | Cedar Falls
Jill lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and is the Assistant County Attorney for Bremer County. Jill is an active member of St John Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls. When time allows, she enjoys fostering rescue dogs and being active in her neighborhood. She belongs to a book club, and loves camping, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family. In her line of work, Jill sees many young people follow the wrong path simply because it is the only path presented to them. She is proud to represent organizations like Girl Scouts, with the ability to empower young women to envision a different direction.
Jill lives in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and is the Assistant County Attorney for Bremer County. Jill is an active member of St John Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls. When time allows, she enjoys fostering rescue dogs and being active in her neighborhood. She belongs to a book club, and loves camping, hiking, cooking, and spending time with her family. In her line of work, Jill sees many young people follow the wrong path simply because it is the only path presented to them. She is proud to represent organizations like Girl Scouts, with the ability to empower young women to envision a different direction.
Teresa Colgan, Vice Chair | Burlington
Teresa is the Chief Clinical Officer for Great River Medical Center in Burlington, Iowa, and has been volunteering with Girl Scouts for 35 years, starting as the camp nurse at Camp L-Kee-Ta. She did a wide range of volunteer roles and in 1999, began her tenure as a member of the Board of Directors for Shining Trail Council. She became Shining Trail Council President in 2003. Teresa co-chaired the Realignment Committee during our realignment and continued offering her leadership on a multitude of projects including strategic planning and performance excellence. Our council has prospered under her creative, strong and steady leadership.
Mary Ann Brown, Treasurer | Burlington
Mary Ann Brown retired as a district court judge in the 8th Judicial District of Iowa after 20 years on the bench. She continues to work on a part time basis as a senior judge. Prior to her retirement she also served as the Chief Judge of the 8th Judicial District for 9 years . Before taking the bench she served as a prosecutor in the Des Moines County Attorney’s office and was in private practice with the firm of Bauer, Schulte, Hahn, Swanson and Brown, in Burlington, Iowa.
Over the years she has volunteered for several local community organizations such as the Burlington Library Board of Trustees, Burlington/West Burlington United Way, and Burlington/West Burlington Chamber of Commerce. She has also served on several Iowa Bar Association and Iowa Supreme Court committees.
Mary Ann is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts. She was a girl scout as a child. As an adult she has served in many volunteer positions over the years including Cadette troop leader, long time member of the board of directors for Shining Trail Council and president of the board for six years. She most recently has served on the by-laws and finance committees for GSEIWI.
Laura L. (Divot) Ekizian, Secretary | Quad Cities
Born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Laura ‘Divot’ Ekizian came to the Quad Cities to attend St. Ambrose University. Upon graduating with a degree in Mass Communications, she became the head coach of the SAU Women’s Golf Team, a position she held for 10 years. While serving as Women’s Golf Coach, Divot worked for the University as the Director of Alumni and Parent Relations and earned her Master’s in Business Administration.
In 2000, she accepted a position with Quad City Bank & Trust and began her banking career as a Private Banking Officer focused on building strong relationships with her clients. She now serves as President and Chief Relationship Officer, overseeing the private banking, consumer and residential lending, retail and marketing departments.
Divot is an active advocate for the Quad City community, serving as a member of the board of directors for Quad City Arts, Girls Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Quad City Health Initiative, Davenport Country Club and Community Bankers of Iowa. She is a past board member of the John Deere Classic and served as the volunteer Chair in 2014.
Members at Large
Chelsea Hillman | Davenport
Chelsea is the Managing Director, Professional Programs at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. In this role, she leads the Student Experience team in supporting over 2,300 part-time, working professional graduate students. Prior to working at the University of Iowa, Chelsea spent 10+ years in various marketing roles in large corporate and small business settings. Chelsea earned her BBA in Marketing & Management, MBA, and Leadership certificate from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business.
She is passionate about building community and has previously held
leadership volunteer positions for Iowa Women Lead Change (fka The
Women’s Connection), The PR Network of the Quad Cities, Young
Professionals of the Quad Cities (fka The Network: Young Professionals
of the Quad Cities), the American Heart Association Go Red for Women,
and various other non-profit organizations.
Chelsea is a third generation Girl Scout who spent her girl years in Muscatine, IA, was a former troop leader in Geneseo, IL, and is a current Lifetime Member, National Delegate (56th National Council Session), Board Member, and volunteer. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, fishing, reading, crocheting, and playing board games with her family and friends.
Tracy Schwind | Davenport
Tracy Schwind is Senior Vice President, Chief Experience Officer at Northwest Bank & Trust Company. In addition to the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Tracy currently serves on the board of the Figge Art Museum and is a Lead(h)er Mentor. Tracy enjoys volunteering in the community including having served on the boards of the Davenport Public Library, Common Chord, Davenport Schools Foundation and Women Lead Change Quad Cities Women Connect. Tracy is a Lifetime Member of Girl Scouts and has loved every step of being part of Girl Scouts along the way.
Anne Ryerson, Geneseo
Anne is the Manager of Product Safety and Compliance for John Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group. In this role she leads a global team of engineers working to ensure safety and compliance of John Deere electronic products. An electrical engineer, Anne has experience in product development, electronics design, and product safety in her 20 years at John Deere. She is a Gold Award recipient, lifetime member of Girl Scouts, and has been a member of the GSEIWI Board of Directors since 2013.
Anne is passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community. She has many years of experience leading STEM outreach and youth programs, including FIRST Lego League, John Deere Inspire, and the Society of Women Engineers. A mother to three boys, she is also a Cub Scout den leader.
Andrew Abbott | Waterloo, Iowa
Andrew Carl Abbott is the President of Abbott Law Office, P.C., as
well as a Judicial Magistrate for Black Hawk County – District 1B. As
a Magistrate, he regularly deals with attorneys hailing from all over
the State of Iowa and, most times, handling pro se individuals that
are seeking justice through the legal system or need direction with
regards to how to resolve their situations. Andrew is also an
emergency contact for mental health and substance-related disorder 48
hour holds in Black Hawk County. He has experienced a wide range of
areas of legal practice, focusing on general practice. Most recently,
his focus has been on both the civil and criminal aspects of law, with
more of an emphasis on family law and juvenile law. He continues to
maintain a contract with the State Public Defender’s Office to provide
services for those in need.
He is active in the community
as a member of the housing corporation, board member of the African
American Historical and Cultural Museum, and member of Trinity
Lutheran Church.
Tim Conlon | Dubuque
Timothy J. Conlon is the President and CEO of Conlon Construction
Co., a 117-year-old-company founded by his grandfather in 1903. Tim
has 50 years of experience in all aspects of the construction
industry. Over the years, Tim has served on over 20 boards and
committees and has supported capital or annual fundraising campaigns
for eight important Dubuque community institutions. He has also been
involved with the Advisory Boards for the NICC Community College,
Dubuque Community School District, and University of Northern Iowa
Construction Management Program.
In 2016, Tim was the
recipient of the Master Builders of Iowa (MBI) Build Iowa Award, which
recognizes a general contractor’s skill, responsibility, and integrity
in performance both in construction and in their community. He is
actively involved with the MBI and has served as its President. In
2008, Tim was voted by the Tri-State Business Times as the second most
influential person in their Top Ten Most Influential People in the
Tri-States. Tim received the Dubuque Jaycee’s Gil Chavenelle Award in
2001 for exceptional leadership, contribution, and service to the
Dubuque Community.
Dr. Rachel Savage | Moline
Dr. Rachel Savage has 25 years of experience in the field of education in Iowa, Illinois, and Arizona. She has served as Superintendent, High School Administrator, K-8 Principal, 6-8 Principal, and a High School Spanish teacher. She has also served as Adjunct Professor for the University of Dubuque and Northeast Iowa Community College. Her doctorate is in K-12 Organizational Leadership. She also has an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and another in Educational Administration.
Her husband, Dr. Eric Savage is a Professor for the University of Dubuque, in the Department of Aviation. He is also a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Aviation and Flight for Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Her daughter Gabby, is a junior at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, pursuing a degree in Hotel-Restaurant Management. Her son, RJ, is a freshman at the University of Iowa. He is studying industrial engineering and is also a private pilot working on his flight credentials at Jet Air in Iowa City. The family dog, Pilot, is an English Springer Spaniel and everyone’s best friend.
Clara Garman | Marion
Clara is a Software/Systems Engineer at Rockwell Collins, now a conglomerate of Raytheon Technologies. Her work in software and aircraft systems engineering quickly led into several roles, including her current role of Data Manager and Project Cost Account Manager for Display Software on the Boeing 747 aircraft series.
She has been involved with United Way, Boy Scouts of America, YMCA and the Society of Women in Engineering over the course of many years. Clara is a strong supporter of natural and conservation initiatives. She currently holds a chair position on the SWE board for Girl Scout Days. This will be her fourth year on that board. and she initiated the new Older Girl Scout Day sleepover event in 2017.
Clara has been a Girl Scout since 1994, following a long career of growing confidence, having the courage to face her fears and being prepared for several challenges. In 2008, she was a Girl Scout camp director. For several years since, she has served on a multitude of Girl Scout committees for items such as property management, fund raising, training and a COVID task force. Her experiences in multiple councils has allowed Girl Scouts to share ideas and learn new skills.
Finally, Clara's passion lies in the outdoors. She has volunteered at our GSEIWI events since 2011, and likes to spend her vacation as a counselor at Camp Liberty. She may be considered crazy, but firmly believes that the more girls who are comfortable living in wilderness conditions, the more prepared they will be for the future of the world.
David Blakenship | Cedar Rapids
David retired from the Aegon-affiliated companies in 2016 following a 39-year career. He also founded and directs the Pathfinder Outdoor Education Center, which specializes in outdoor experiential education. As a professional, he is skilled at providing leadership in change management at organizations. He has served on many boards for organizations that create positive outcomes for youth. David has been married to his wife Lois for 50 years, has three children and five grandchildren.
Emerald Smith | Cedar Rapids
Emerald Smith works at Collins Aerospace as an influential individual contributor working within supply chain. She manages the lifecycle on last-time buys and rebuys. In her previous career, Emerald worked 15+ years working with at-risk youth. She is involved with ReSET CR which focuses on meeting youth where they are and reducing violence in the community.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling; so much that she became an independent travel agent. She enjoys empowering people who never thought they would leave their state to travel and experience the world.
Angela Weekley
Angela is a graduate of Wartburg College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in education. She went on to earn a master’s degree in post-secondary education from the University of Northern Iowa. She has been employed at Veridian Credit Union 13 years as the Manager of Community Inclusion.
Angela is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion. She has always been passionate about serving others. This passion is currently expressed through her position as the Manager of Community Inclusion at Veridian Credit Union where she has been for 13 years. In addition to her passion being present through her career, in her free time, Angela works with a variety of other community organizations where she is able to serve as well. The Salvation Army, Waterloo Community Development, Greater Des Moines Partnership-Diversity/Inclusion Committee, Lutheran Services of Iowa, Inclusive ICR have all had the opportunity to experience Angela’s willingness to be a helping hand in the community and this list has, and will continue to, grow over time.
In her free time, Angela serves a variety of other community organizations, such as Salvation Army, Waterloo Community Development, Greater Des Moines Partnership-Diversity/Inclusion Committee, Lutheran Services of Iowa and Inclusive ICR.
Danica Hass
Danica has been employed at the Allen Child Protection Center since 2016 as a Forensic Interviewer. In her role, she interviews children and dependent adults for allegations of abuse and to date, has conducted roughly 1,300 interviews. During her employment, Danica has mentored other Allen Hospital employees, provided training to community members and professionals, and currently leads a Community Engagement Committee. Danica participates in multiple councils and organizations both inside and outside of work. Danica serves on the Executive Committee for the Iowa American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children and currently serves as the President of the Junior League of Waterloo-Cedar Falls.
Sarah Beckman
Sarah is a certified public accountant and shareholder of CPA Associates PC in Burlington, Iowa. She accredits her cookie sales experience as a former Brownie for fueling her passion for numbers. Sarah performs financial statement audits and prepares individual, business and not-for-profit tax returns. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. Prior to working at CPA Associates PC, Sarah was a manager with Ernst & Young LLP in Des Moines Iowa. Besides numbers, Sarah enjoys spending time with family, participating in farming operations with her husband and reading a great book.
Board Development Committee
Chelsea Hillman, Davenport
Chelsea is the Managing Director, Professional Programs at the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. In this role, she leads the Student Experience team in supporting over 2,300 part-time, working professional graduate students. Prior to working at the University of Iowa, Chelsea spent 10+ years in various marketing roles in large corporate and small business settings. Chelsea earned her BBA in Marketing & Management, MBA, and Leadership certificate from the University of Iowa Tippie College of Business.
She is passionate about building community and has previously held leadership volunteer positions for Iowa Women Lead Change (fka The Women’s Connection), The PR Network of the Quad Cities, Young Professionals of the Quad Cities (fka The Network: Young Professionals of the Quad Cities), the American Heart Association Go Red for Women, and various other non-profit organizations.
Chelsea is a third generation Girl Scout who spent her girl years in Muscatine, IA, was a former troop leader in Geneseo, IL, and is a current Lifetime Member, National Delegate (56th National Council Session), Board Member, and volunteer. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking, fishing, reading, crocheting, and playing board games with her family and friends.
Anne Ryerson, Secretary | Geneseo
Anne is the Manager of Product Safety and Compliance for John Deere’s Intelligent Solutions Group. In this role she leads a global team of engineers working to ensure safety and compliance of John Deere electronic products. An electrical engineer, Anne has experience in product development, electronics design, and product safety in her 20 years at John Deere. She is a Gold Award recipient, lifetime member of Girl Scouts, and has been a member of the GSEIWI Board of Directors since 2013.
Anne is passionate about volunteering and giving back to the community. She has many years of experience leading STEM outreach and youth programs, including FIRST Lego League, John Deere Inspire, and the Society of Women Engineers. A mother to three boys, she is also a Cub Scout den leader.
Dee Vandeventer, Cedar Falls, IA
Interested in joining our board?
Bring your expertise, experience, and connections to help move Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois forward as a member of our Board of Directors. Professionals from diverse backgrounds are invited to apply and share their unique perspectives and connections to the local Movement. We are looking for visionary individuals who believe that when girls succeed, we all succeed.
Expectations
Girl Board Members
Girl Scouts in grades 10-12 are invited represent all Girl Scouts when addressing important decisions for the council. Girl board members will see women in leadership roles, make lasting connections, and share their thoughts about the Movement. Plus, it looks great on a resume! Applications will open on October 1st and are due December 31st. Girl Board Members will be interviewed and selected in January. Selected Girl Board Members will be voted in at the annual meeting in March and serve a one-year term.
Girl Board Members
Expectations
Board Meeting Dates
- January 16, 2025
- April 5, 2025 (Annual Meeting)
Additional 2025 board meeting dates will be shared after the Annual Meeting when a new Board Chair is elected.
Board Meeting Minutes
