GSNC Council Nominating committee

Tyra M. Banks

Tyra Banks is a Senior Occupational Therapist for the New York City Department of Education. She also has a private practice, Cornerstone Therapeutic Services, Inc., where she provides Early Intervention services to children with developmental delays. She graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and received her Master’s of Science Degree in Occupational Therapy from Columbia University.

Ms. Banks is a true advocate for children through her volunteerism. She is a Co-Leader for her daughter’s Junior Troop and is serving as a Member-at-Large of Board of Directors and is currently a member of the Council Nominating Committee. She is the Chairperson for the PTA Reflections Program as well as the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee for the Baldwin Middle School PTA and a member of the Baldwin High School PTSA Nominating Committee. As a member of the Executive Committee of the New York State Black Occupational Therapy Caucus, she organizes scholarship fundraisers and mentors students in Occupational Therapy programs. Ms. Banks resides in Baldwin Harbor with her husband and children.

Jacqueline Mecchella Bushwack, Esq.
Jacqueline Mecchella Bushwack is an associate at Rivkin Radler, LLP where she is involved in the defense of a wide variety of medical malpractice, toxic tort, and general liability cases. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Syracuse University and her law degree fromAlbany Law School, where she served as Lead Articles Editorfor the Albany Law School Journal of Science and Technology. Prior to joining the Girl Scouts of Nassau County, Ms. Bushwack served a three year term as the Recent Graduate Trustee on Albany Law School’s Board of Trustees.
Ms. Bushwack is serving as a member of the Council Nominating Committee for a two-year term, during which time she hopes to become actively involved in the Council’s fundraising efforts in addition to her duties on the Nominating Committee.

 

Austin Cannon, Jr.

Elected as a Member-at-Large in May 2005, Mr. Cannon has a long association with the Board of Directors, having served previously as Vice President from 2003-2005 and Member-at-Large from 1992-1998 and 2005-2011. He served as a member of the Council Nominating Committee from 2006-2008, 2000-2002 and for two-years beginning in 1994 and is being nominated to serve in that capacity again. A proud recipient of the Girl Scout Thanks Badge, Mr. Cannon is a former National Delegate and currently serves as Chairman of the Human Resources Committee.

A resident of North Bellmore with a long history of volunteerism with Boy Scouts and the Knights of Columbus, Mr. Cannon, an Eagle Scout, is currently the Scouting Program Coordinator for the Diocese of Rockville Centre Office of Youth Ministry. Mr. Cannon has recently been presented with the Silver Saint George Emblem of the National Catholic Committee, a national honor given for exceptional service to Catholic youth in Scouting on a national level. He currently serves as National Vice Chairman of the National Catholic Committee.

 

Linda Carter

Linda Carter is serving a two-year term as a member of the Council Nominating Committee. Mrs. Carter received her Bachelor’s Degree in English/Secondary Education from Queens College. She taught at Southside Middle School in Rockville Centre and later at Freeport High School for thirteen years.  During this time, Mrs. Carter received her Master’s Degree from St. John’s University.  While Mrs. Carter and her late husband, Don, were raising their two daughters, Mrs. Carter obtained a professional diploma from C.W. Post.  She entered the East Meadow School District as an Assistant Principal at East Meadow High School.  Four years later, Mrs. Carter became principal at Clarke Middle School, also in the East Meadow School District.  Having a strong connection to her home community, Mrs. Carter returned to the Freeport Public Schools in 2005 to assume the position as Principal of the Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School.

As a parent and an educator, Mrs. Carter is a strong proponent of fostering and instilling a solid academic foundation in the lives of all children. “Our children are the future and it is our responsibility as a society but also as adults, caretakers, and parents to nurture and guide our students to become the best human beings they can become.  In order to achieve this goal, it is imperative and essential that our students become lifelong learners.”

 

Cynthia Doerler

Cynthia L. Doerler joined The Bristal Assisted Living as the Director of Network Development addressing the needs of working caregivers and developing relationships with industry professionals.  Among her many responsibilities she oversees development of strategic corporate and professional relationships including the non-profit marketing initiative. Ms. Doerler is serving as a member of the Council Nominating Committee.

Ms. Doerler is a graduate of Long Island University, CW Post Campus in Brookville NY with a BS in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. Ms. Doerler is Vice President of Gerontology Professionals of New York, Co-chair for the Society for Human Resource Management program committee, Co-Chair of the Work and Family Life Conference, Board Member for the National Association of Mother Centers and Board Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

 

Debra Ieraci
Debra Ieraci is serving a two-year term on the Council Nominating Committee. A
member of the Board of Directors for 12 years, Ms. Ieraci is happy to be returning to serve the girls of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. A former National Delegate and past member of the Council Nominating Committee, she served for several years as Chair of the Delegate Communications Committee.

Ms. Ieraci is employed as a Field Collector with National Grid and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Old Westbury. Ms. Ieraci is a member of the Gold Award Alliance and a Girl Scout Leader in the Glen Cove Association where she resides with her husband, Frank, and daughter Amanda, a Girl Scout Junior. Ms. Ieraci volunteers in her local community and is a licensed massage therapist.

 

Betty Monroe
Betty Monroe was elected as a Member-at-Large of the Board of Directors in 2008 and is also serving as a member of the Council Nominating Committee. Ms. Monroe was a member of the Board of Directors from 1995 to 2005 and held the position of Executive Vice President. She has been Chair of the Community Relations Committee, the 2002 Council Performance Assessment Task Group and has served on the Council Nominating Committee. For her many contributions to Girl Scouts over the years, Betty received the Girl Scout Thanks Badge in 2002 and was named one of GSNC’s 90 Women for 90 Years.

A resident of Freeport, she is actively involved with many organizations, including Negro Business and Professional Women of Nassau County, 100 Black Women of Nassau/Suffolk and is the President of The Links Inc., Long Island Chapter. Ms. Monroe is employed as Director of the Defense Contracts Management Agency in Garden City.

 

Barbara Murphy Schwaner
Barbara Murphy Schwaner is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Diplomat. Ms. Murphy Schwaner graduated from the Adelphi University School of Social Work and the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Program of the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. She is in private practice in Mineola. Ms. Murphy Schwaner volunteers as a Senior Troop Leader and Presenter for GSNC’s Critical Issues Initiative. Her articles on Relational Aggression have been published in social work newsletters locally and nationally. As a parent of a teenager, Ms. Murphy Schwaner was part of the group that wrote "Mothers and Others: Courage and Confidence
in the Face of Social Bullying," one of the many anti-bullying programs offered by GSNC. Ms. Murphy Schwaner is serving a two year term as a member of the Council Nominating Committee.

Carol Ransom

Carol Ransom is a face very familiar to Girl Scouts of Nassau County and is currently serving on the Nominating Committee and and as a National Council Delegate.  Ms. Ransom previously served on the Board as Vice President from 2001-2003 and as a Member-at-Large from 1994-2000.  Ms. Ransom was Chair of the 2005-2006 Council Nominating Committee and served as Chair of the Human Resources Committee for three years.  She is currently Chair of the Community Relations Committee.  She is a past National Delegate and served as Chair of our delegation to the 2002 National Council Meeting. 

In 2005, Ms. Ransom received the coveted Thanks Badge for her outstanding service to Girl Scouting.  Ms. Ransom retired from the Town of Hempstead Housing Authority and currently resides in Hempstead.