Hartford, CT – Girl Scouts of Connecticut is proud to announce the highly-anticipated honorees of the 25th Annual Breakfast Badge Awards, an event that spotlights the contributions of strong, accomplished women in the state. This year’s recipients are talented female executives recognized for “Championing Girl Ambition” as staunch supporters of the Girl Scouts of Connecticut organization. The fundraising event will take place on Thursday, March 3, 2022, 7:30 a.m. at the Hartford Marriott Downtown located at 200 Columbus Boulevard in Hartford, Connecticut.
“These exceptional professionals have not only reached the pinnacle of success in their chosen fields, they have generously given of their time and expertise to inspire girls in their community through our organization,” said Diana Mahoney, Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Connecticut (GSOFCT) and herself a former director at Eversource Energy and lifelong Girl Scout. “Each of the honorees will receive a custom designed Girl Scout badge that celebrates this year’s theme of Championing Girl Ambition.”
This year’s honorees are:
Elicia Pegues Spearman, a Cheshire resident and Girl Scout of Connecticut alumnae, was appointed to a dual C-Suite role as the first General Counsel & Vice President of Human Resources for Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. Previously, she was the first person of color hired to the Executive Team at General Dynamics Electric Boat where she served as the Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer. Spearman mentors professionals and students and has dedicated a lifetime of community service to local and national organizations. She has had a distinguished law career where she worked for state, federal and Fortune 500 corporate entities including Aetna, Hubbell, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights & Opportunities, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. She was recognized as one of the “2019 Most Influential Women in Corporate America” by Savoy Magazine.
Edna Karanian, a Former Director of Gas Supply at Eversource Energy from Wethersfield, is a highly respected, well-known natural gas industry executive with decades of leadership. She is a previous Girl Scout, past Board Member of Girl Scouts of Connecticut and has served as Chair of the Board Development Committee. She was also Co-Chair of the Breakfast Badge Event in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Virginia Giuffré, formerly of Westport, was a top leader at Citibank Corporation for over 20 years. She was one of the first women to serve as a Division Executive, managing the worldwide business from sales and marketing to technology to operations. After retiring from Citibank, Giuffre joined Merrill Lynch and formed an advisory business which focused on helping women achieve financial independence. By using wealth planning strategies and disciplined investing through good and volatile markets, she worked with women and their families to take control of their finances, helping countless women through all the phases of life including, divorce, widowhood, job changes and retirement. Virginia is a lifelong member of Girl Scouts of Connecticut, past Board member and a member of the Juliette Gordon Low Society.
All proceeds from the Breakfast Badge fundraiser go directly towards Girl Scouts of Connecticut’s mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
“We are thrilled to be able to host this year’s ceremony in person, as it is the silver anniversary of this notable recognition,” said Mahoney. “We encourage everyone to join us in celebration of the incredible achievements of these exceptional role models and to hear their compelling personal stories of success and connection to Girl Scouts of Connecticut.”
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and event details visit www.gsofct.org.
