Leadership Team
When Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts in 1912, she understood that dedicated and dynamic leaders were vital to helping girls develop their full potential.
With the support, vision, and commitment of our leadership team, Girl Scouts have the opportunity to find – and become – leaders in their communities and the world.
Marla Meyer
Chief Executive Officer
Marla Meyer is a strong supporter of leadership development for women and girls and loves working with Girl Scouts. She is a mom and aunt to two amazing Girl Scouts, Madi and Savannah. For them and all Girl Scouts, she works to unleash the power of girls through experiences that build leaders of tomorrow and help them realize there is always a solution to every problem. “Think like McGyver,” as Marla would say.
One thing you might not know about Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons’ CEO, is that she spent her childhood on a farm near Beaver Creek, MN, with sheep, more sheep and lots of sheep. Marla’s down to earth personality started on that farm and grew into a love of getting to know people authentically, and engaging people in their interests and figuring out how to make life fun and adventurous.
Marla’s love of iconic brands (like Girl Scouts) led her to work for more than 20 years for Coca-Cola and Pepsi, at the forefront of sales, marketing and service leadership across the United States and Canada.
Marla holds an MBA in Marketing from the Craig School of Business, California State University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing and Management from Minnesota State University, but her biggest accomplishment is being a mom to twins, Max and Madi.
Which Girl Scout cookie is your favorite?
Samoas! What’s
better than crisp cookies, coated in caramel and sprinkled with
toasted coconut? And the best part? Dark Chocolate stripes on top of
it all!
Stacy Stahl
Chief Operating Officer
Stacy has had a life-long love for adventure! A Girl Scout Alum (she fondly remembers attending a Girl Scout camp behind the Brandon, SD Lutheran Church) she caught the bug for world travel in high school which led her to teaching middle school English in three different small communities on the island of Hokkaido in the northern part of Japan and biking the Amalfi coast of Italy for her mom’s 60th birthday!
An Augustana University Graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Stacy returned from Japan with a new passion for working with youth and has spent her entire career doing just that! As the COO of Girl Scouts she is excited to serve a mission that continues to feed her passion for building confidence in girls. She also was drawn to the rich history of the organization and our founder Juliette Gordon Low who was a trailblazer and an advocate for women and girls during a time where the concept of empowering females wasn’t widely accepted or embraced.
Stacy looks forward to working with the council team and volunteers to create the most captivating and life-changing programming that advances the mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character and creates memories girls will remember for a lifetime.
Which Girl Scout cookie is your favorite?
Tough choice! I tend to go back and forth between Samoas and
Thin Mints. I’m a fan of all of the chocolate varieties!
Amy Hoiland
Chief Financial Officer
Amy is a lifelong Girl Scout. Growing up in Aberdeen, she has many fond memories of camping at TDAF during her school-aged years and organizing and running a Mommy and Me Camp in high school. She feels that the experiences Girl Scouts provided her helped her develop into who she is today. Girl Scouts has had such an impact on Amy’s life that she was beyond ecstatic when she was able to merge her love for finance with her passion for the Girl Scout mission.
A University of Sioux Falls graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Amy has spent most of her professional career working in the non-profit sector. She has a keen eye for detail and a strong desire for helping to ensure financial stability for mission-based organizations.
During Amy’s free time, you will find her camping, fishing, watching her kids’ activities and traveling. She enjoys anything that allows her the opportunity to spend time with her husband Austin, daughter Shayla, son Miles and dogs, Cosmo & Max. In addition, Amy enjoys sharing her love for Girl Scouts with her daughter Shayla.
Which Girl Scout cookie is your favorite?
Samoas! You just can’t beat the combination of chocolate,
caramel and coconut.
Shawna Van Voorst
Chief People Officer
Shawna has been blessed to be surrounded by amazing women in her life. Whether that was her grandma, mom, teacher, friend, sister, or co-worker, they have all helped shape her into who she is today. She is excited to support the Girl Scouts' mission of helping girls become strong leaders in their communities and the world. Everyone has a unique way of making a difference and she looks forward to seeing how that is unleashed through Girl Scouts.
Shawna graduated from Northwestern College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration but has found her niche in Human Resources. This is where she has spent most of her professional career from school districts to large corporations. It is the perfect mix for this people person that also likes numbers and strategy.
Shawna can often be found laughing with family and friends, traveling, loving on her nieces and nephews, reading, learning, or cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Which Girl Scout cookie is your favorite?
Definitely Thin Mint! There is just something about the combination of mint and chocolate. I also love putting them in the freezer to make them extra delightful!
Jackie Swanstrom
Director of Governance and Executive Support
As a natural talker, includer, and connector of people for as long as she can remember, Jackie appreciates the skills girls can learn through the Girl Scouts pillars (Life Skills, STEM, Outdoor, Entrepreneurship). She wants to help all people to be empowered to “just be you”, and to take the lead when they want to, even if it doesn’t come naturally.
A curious South Dakotan with a desire for experiences, Jackie attended the University of South Dakota (South Dakota) and the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities Minnesota) before graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University (New Jersey) with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology + emphasis in Psychology and Pre-Law. Prior to joining Girl Scouts in 2017, Jackie’s professional experience included multi-year careers in banking compliance and in government investigations.
Currently, as the one in charge of Dakota Horizons’ council Corporate Governance, CEO support and Board of Director’s support, some joke that Jackie runs a tight ship—but looking at her desk with files, pens, and notes organized by color, it’s clear she brings fun and flair to the mission as well ( and sometimes her favorite baked goods and garden flowers too). Her young boys and husband make sure she stays in touch with her “wild” side with regular outdoor fun, which often involves kiddo sporting activities. If you ask her about free time, Jackie will giggle and say-
“When I am not occupied as head of family calendar cadence and snuggles, I can be found feeding our family’s giant pet tortoise, at a studio hot yoga class, or being inspired by Pinterest.”
Interested in connecting- you can find Jackie on LinkedIn, along with her favorite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
Which Girl Scout cookie is your favorite?
I’m loyal, so Thin Mints, BUT…. The Raspberry Rally is
definitely delish and will be worthy of hidden cupboard space in our home.
