WS Blog
2008 		Camp CEO Success

Firestone Car Care Academy - Saturday, June 7 @ Firestone Complete Auto Care, Ft. Smith. - Click Here for information and to register. **** FREE Summer Nature Programs! Tuesdays June 10- July 29, 2008 9AM-12PM at Peg Brazelton Girl Scout Nature Center at 5705 Gordon Lane, Fort Smith. For All kids entering 1st - 6th in Fall 2008. Click here for information. ***

Women of Distinction 2008


 
Barbara Barbara Bethel Hill
Barbara Bethell Hill has a passion for providing excellent service to her customers and to her community. She often works behind the scenes allowing others to take the credit for a job well done. Barbara is a lifelong Girl Scout. She grew up in the Mount Magazine Council, and moved through all of the levels of membership. She worked at Camp Cahinnio as a lifeguard and took on many roles as an adult Girl Scout, including that of President of the Council. She is Vice President and Trust Officer at First National Bank of Fort Smith. She has served as Board President and Treasurer of GSCMMA. She serves on the Board of the Old Fort Museum, the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer support House, and is a founding member of the Mollie Wilson Financial Series at UA Fort Smith. She is a leading expert in her field and is a loaned executive for the United Way of Fort Smith. Barbara also works to instill financial responsibility in the youth of our community, and is a mentor and inspiration to many. She is an avid horsewoman and is very generous in lending her time and her own horses to help young people learn to care for and appreciate horses for the magnificent animals and friends that they are to humankind.
Dr. Calline Ellis
Dr. Calline Ellis is a leader. She has served as Head Pediatric nurse at Sparks Regional Medical Center, as coordinator of Maternal-Child Nursing at Sparks School of Nursing, and as Chair of the Division of Health Occupations at Westark. She also served as interim Vice President of Academic Affairs and also led a committee to oversee the construction of the math science building at UAFS. After retirement from Westark, she was asked to assume the leadership role as program coordinator for the master's degree in nursing program offered by the University of Central Arkansas. She has two Master's Degrees - one in Nursing and one in Health Education. She earned her doctorate in Higher Education Administration. She is a graduate of Leadership Fort Smith and received the "Spirit of the Frontier" Award in 2005. She has been Board President of Lincoln Childcare Center and is a Master Gardner. Calline has two sons. 		Calline Ellis
Yvonne Keaton-Martin Yvonne Keaton-Martin
Yvonne Keaton-Martin is an educator, leader, and mentor. She is retired from a successful educational career where she was Principal of Howard Elementary School in Fort Smith. She raised aspirations for each student in the school and earned the respect of the entire community as she worked tirelessly for the children of Howard. She is a graduate of Leadership Fort Smith, and serves on the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and has an endowed scholarship named in her honor at the University of Arkansas. Ms. Keaton-Martin served as president of the Fort Smith Board of Education in 2006, and continues as a member of this public governing body. She has served as an officer on many boards including GSCMMA, and Girls Incorporated, Habitat for Humanity, and Interfaith Pre-school.
Debbie Andrews-Kraus
Debbie Andrews-Kraus is an energetic, compassionate community servant. She is the Developing Projects Coordinator at Zero Mountain. She has served as President of Young Actors Guild, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Partners in Education for the Fort Smith Public Schools and she leads the Partners in Education team at Tilles Elementary. She is a lead volunteer with the Celebrity Classic, and active with the Fort Smith Symphony, Make a Wish Foundation, and Junior League. Debbie originated and organized the "Power to Believe" CD project at Tilles Elementary in Fort Smith which enjoyed huge success last year and will be followed by a second production for this Christmas season. Debbie is the proud mom of three daughters. 		Debbie Andrews-Kraus
Melissa Gunselman Girl Scout of Distinction:
Melissa Gunselman
Melissa Gunselman is the Girl Scout Council of Mount Magazine Area 2008 Girl Scout of Distinction. She will receive a $1000 scholarship from The Women of Distinction Scholarship Fund. Melissa is a graduate of Southside High School and is a Freshman at UAFS. She recently earned her Gold Award- the highest honor in Girl Scouting. For that project, she constructed the amazing and beautiful wildlife blind adjacent to the main building of the Jane Huckabee River Valley Nature Center. It enables people of all ages to observe and photograph wildlife in their natural habitat without intrusion. Melissa is a member of "Daisy's Crew", a Girl Scout group that is skilled in roof working and construction. She has helped re-roof several buildings at Camp Cahinnio, and recently the Cookie Cabins in Burnham Woods. Melissa is a certified rock climbing/repelling instructor, and was honored as an Arkansas Scholar for four years. She is a leader and mentor to younger girls and to her peers.