Meet the CEO
Dr. Linda E. Farley joined Girl Scouts Heart of Central California (GSHCC) as CEO in 2013. She provides executive leadership and strategic direction on council initiatives that focus on enriching the lives of the 20,000 girl and adult members across an expansive 18-county region.
Under Linda’s leadership, GSHCC opened STEM Centers + MakerSpaces in Sacramento and Modesto and a 30-foot RV mobile STEM Center + MakerSpace. High-quality outdoor experiences have expanded and through innovative after-school programs and initiatives that are important for the Latino communities, Girl Scout programming has broadened to all girls in the region.
Linda is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and earned the highest award in Girl Scouting, becoming a First-Class Girl Scout, known today as the Girl Scout Gold Award.
Linda’s career includes executive positions as director of development at the Crocker Art Museum, executive director of the Children’s Museum of Denver, chief development officer at the American Red Cross Mile High Chapter, and chief operating officer at Up with People.
Linda holds a doctorate in leadership from the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, and a master’s in curriculum and instruction from Michigan State University.
An active member of the community, Linda is a senior fellow with the Mountain Valley Chapter American Leadership Forum and a member of the International Women’s Forum. She is a founding member of the Board of Directors at Capital College and Career Academy, an Executive Advisory Committee member with Leadership California, and a former Commissioner for the Sacramento County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.
Linda’s accolades include Sacramento Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business, Westmont College 85th Anniversary Award, Sacramento Kings Foundation’s 2023 Women’s Empowerment Award, and Sacramento Business Journal’s Most Admired CEO.
