Laura Walsh (Victoria, Canada, Western Hemisphere Region) has been involved in Guiding since age 5. She has served on a WAGGGS Fund Development Committee and as an Ambassador for the Olave Baden-Powell Society. In the early 1990’s, Laura was on staff with WAGGGS working in Russia and the former Soviet Republics. For Girl Guides of Canada, Laura has served on the national board and been a unit leader for Brownies, Guides and Rangers. For over 20 years Laura has worked as a professional fundraiser and is a transformational giving advisor for a large hospital foundation. Laura and her husband have 2 adult daughters and all enjoy hiking, snowshoeing, and camping.
Marg Treloar has been a very active volunteer and supporter of WAGGGS and OB-PS for more than 30 years. Marg served as Chair of WAGGGS World Board from
2008 to 2011, co-chaired the 2019 OB-PS Event in Toronto and currently
serves as a Vice President of OB-PS. Marg’s experience includes
numerous opportunities to facilitate strategic development and
leadership events across the globe. These experiences have given her a
deep understanding of the challenges that face girls and young women in
different countries, as well as the challenges facing the leaders of
many Member Organizations. This work has confirmed Marg’s belief in the
benefits of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting program and the
resilience of its members. She has a keen interest in ensuring a
sustainable future for WAGGGS, including through the efforts of the
Olave Baden-Powell Society, and is looking forward to exploring
innovative ideas for the future with workshop participants.
Miriam Herzberg is a consultant, facilitator, and co-owner of a company specializing in leadership and organizational development. Her workshops are a unique blend of fun, depth, and challenge – perfect for people who want to grow and move forward. A lifelong Scout, Miriam became the first female Director of the World Scout Centre in Kandersteg, Switzerland. She has held various leadership roles within WAGGGS – including team leader at Our Chalet, Member of the World Centre Committee, Board member of OB-PS, mentor to the World Board, and currently part of the international planning team for this event. Miriam brings people together, creates spaces for bold reflection, and fosters meaningful development – in English, Dutch, or (Swiss)German.
Sandy Thomas currently serves as the Lead Volunteer for Capacity Building for the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) which oversees 13 consulting teams serving 153 countries. Team members are experts in capacity building elements such as: Organizational Effectiveness, Strategic Alliances, Finance, Fund Development, Membership, and Image/Visibility.
Sandy also serves as a National Volunteer Partner for Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and serves as Vice President of the World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, which is a funding source for both WAGGGS and GSUSA. She is also a member of the Olave Baden Powell Society(OBPS) a funding arm of WAGGGS.
As Vice President of Global Girl Scouting/Strategic Alliances at GSUSA, she was a visionary voice for the global work associated with the Girl Scout Movement and played a crucial role in developing strategic alliances that enhanced the Girl Scout Program. As Vice President, Sandy took the lead in networking with organizations around the globe, raising girl’s voices in international forums, and helping girls grow as responsible global citizens.
Prior to her role as VP of Global Girl Scouting, she served for 17 years as Director, USA Girl Scouts Overseas, serving girls and their families living temporarily outside the USA. In collaboration with Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State, Sandy created the Global Awareness Badge for Junior Girl Scouts, to help girls, ages 9-11, become more familiar with their world.
Sandy worked professionally in the Girl Scout organization for 42 years.
Sandy is the recipient of GSUSA's prestigious national award, the Juliette Low World Friendship Medal, for excellence in international service.
In 2020, Sandy was presented with the Medal of Service, WAGGGS’ highest form of recognition for her outstanding volunteer service to the Girl Guide/Girl Scout Movement.
JoAnne Fischer (Philadelphia, USA, Western Hemisphere Region) Fundraising Team lead is retired after 30 years heading a maternal child health NGO, raising $12 million annually through contracts, grants, and gifts. She is a lifetime member of GSUSA, was a girl participant at Our Cabana and organized the 2012 meeting of the Olave Baden Powell Society in the USA. She has served on 14 nonprofit boards including Girl Scouts of the USA. She attended all of the UN International Women’s meetings (Mexico City, Nairobi and Beijing) as a representative of the World Federation of Public Health Organizations. She and her husband Eric love to travel and enjoy their three young grandchildren.
Christiane Rouhana (Lebanon) Vice Chair of the World Board
Christiane never misses a chance to speak about Girl Guiding and Scouting and how much being in the Movement has brought to her life and to herself.
During her 25 years as a volunteer in her National MO, Association des Guides du Liban, Christiane has held a range of leadership roles, most recently as the International Commissioner for 8 years and served the National Board for more than 10. She has had the chance to work at different levels and with all age groups. Her favourite experiences are time spent with members in their groups and units: training, facilitating, playing, speaking and listening. Hence, Christiane’s personal motto is #HereForHer, where she expresses her eagerness to do her part for every girl and woman in the world.
Christiane earned her master’s degree in Clinical and Pathological Psychology in 2005. Since then, she has dedicated herself to providing every stakeholder in a child’s life - parents, educators and children themselves - the tools and knowledge necessary to keep children and families safe and well. She is also a Positive Discipline Instructor for parents and teachers.
In addition to her passion for the Movement, Christiane is an animal lover, avid reader and writer; she enjoys music and traveling, has a deep interest in languages and cultures and cherishes her international friends!
“Any woman, young woman or girl has the potential to be strong, independent and empowered; she can be whatever she wants to be and achieve big things for her and for the world. We need to make sure the world knows that.”
Nefeli Themeli is an experienced leader in non-formal education and safeguarding, currently serving as the Non-Formal Learning and Safeguarding Lead at WAGGGS. With over 18 years of experience in programme development, training, and international project management, she brings deep expertise in gender equality, youth empowerment, and inclusion. She has successfully led global initiatives addressing gender-based violence and advancing girls' rights, including the multi-stakeholder “Girls as Drivers for Change” project in Uganda and Jordan. Nefeli has designed and delivered impactful non-formal education programmes, such as the Stop the Violence Campaign, training volunteers in over 25 countries. She has worked in collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders, including UN agencies, international NGOs, and corporate partners such as Vodafone, and has delivered training on safeguarding, diversity, equity, and inclusion to global teams and volunteer networks.
Her work is grounded in participatory and rights-based approaches, underpinned by an academic background in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex. Within WAGGGS, she has been instrumental in strengthening internal safeguarding systems, co-leading the Global Safeguarding Working Group, managing incident response processes, and developing policies and tools for Member Organisations. She recently led the rollout of an online safeguarding training completed by over 700 staff and volunteers globally. A committed connector and creative strategist, Nefeli is passionate about cultivating safe, inclusive learning environments where girls and young women can thrive.