Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England Announces 2026 Leading Women of Distinction Award Honorees
WARWICK, RI (September 3, 2026)—The 2026 Leading Women of Distinction Awards ceremony and breakfast will be held at the Squantum Association, Inc. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 8:30am-10:00am.
The 2026 Leading Women of Distinction Honorees lead by example and exemplify the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place—the women who demonstrate qualities of leadership and excellence in their life. This year’s Honorees are:
- Tatiana Baena, Executive Director, Providence After School Alliance
- Trudy Coxe, Executive Director, Preservation Society of Newport County
- Paola Fernandez, SVP – Community Development Officer, Centreville Bank
- Honorable Erika Kruse-Weller, Magistrate, State of Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal
- Dora Vasquez-Hellner, Veterans Service Representative, Veterans Benefits Administration
- Arlene Violet, Columnist, GoLocalProv and Former Rhode Island Attorney General
- Amy Vitale, President, The Beacon Mutual Insurance Company
- Lauren Waterson, Director of Philanthropy, Waterson Terminal Services
Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England CEO Dana Borrelli-Murray stated, “We want every girl to discover her own strengths, interests, voice, courage, and ambition—and to understand that her path is valued and celebrated. Girls need to see this truth reflected in the world around them. They need to see women who are entrepreneurs and public servants, lawyers and advocates, educators and executives. They need to see women who lead organizations, build businesses, protect our communities, preserve our history, challenge systems, and create opportunities for the next generation. They need to see women who took risks, changed direction, overcame obstacles, opened doors, and sometimes created doors where none existed. That is the spirit of Leading Women of Distinction. We celebrate their accomplishments. We celebrate their influence. We celebrate the communities they have strengthened and the doors they have opened. But most of all, we celebrate the example they provide to the girls watching them.”
To learn more about the 2026 Leading Women of Distinction Awards and to purchase tickets to the awards breakfast visit gssne.org/leadingwomen.
We are Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence, and character. We serve all of Rhode Island, 13 communities in Massachusetts, and one in Connecticut.
Girl Scouts discover who they are, tap into the power inside them, and build the confidence to let it shine. Through programs across Southeastern New England, girls and gender-expansive youth of all backgrounds and abilities come as they are to explore their passions, meet new challenges, and develop hands-on skills. They find their strengths in science labs and on hiking trails, at cookie booths and in front of city councils. Backed by millions of alums and a network of dedicated adult volunteers and mentors, Girl Scouts drive change to make the world a better place. Along the way, they uncover the tools they need to lead with joy, on their own terms. Join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate.