A Message from

Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA

Dear Friends,

Role models and mentors have never been more important for young girls. In this time when girls are facing a wide range of challenges and obstacles in their day to day lives, role models and mentors offer valuable guidance on how to navigate the world with confidence, open them up to new experiences, and give them insights into the possibilities and opportunities that are out there to be seized.

Every year, Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey’s Women of Achievement event celebrates honorees who embody the spirit of mentorship that is embedded in the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

On behalf of the entire Girl Scout Movement, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to this year’s Women of Achievement honorees:

Dr. Jabeen Ahmed, Colleen Fay, Samantha Plotino, and Danielle Nebres.

These women are all exceptional leaders within their fields and amazing role models. They reflect the vision and values of the Girl Scout mission and are breaking barriers and making an incredible impact in their communities across northern New Jersey. I am so grateful for their leadership.

Yours in Girl Scouting,

Bonnie Barczykowski

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Innovator Level Sponsors

Leader Level Sponsors

Dr. Jabeen Ahmed Medical Director

Sheefa Pharmacy & Wellness Center

Dr. Jabeen Ahmed is a public healthcare professional with 29 years of experience in community healthcare and outreach, clinical pharmacy practice, and pro bono substance abuse counseling and rehabilitation. She is a commissioner on the Board of Social Services of Passaic County, appointed to the New Jersey State Board of Pharmacy, advisor to the Paterson Coalition Against Substance Abuse and serves several other boards and organizations.

She is the co-founder of Sheefa Pharmacy & Wellness Center, a community-based pharmacy, serving the pharmaceutical, medical, social, and educational public needs of Northern New Jersey and surrounding areas. Her work provided critical pharmacy services to patients during Covid, including the donation of PPE, personal protection equipment, free Covid testing and a vaccination program assisting the city of Paterson to reach a 95% vaccination rate in 2021.

She is also an entrepreneur, the founder of Fit Female, an allwomen’s fitness center, providing a safe and healthy environment for women to focus on their health. Part of the proceeds of the membership funded organizations abetting antihuman trafficking, anti-domestic violence, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and several other women and children focused organizations.

Colleen Fay, CPA, MST Tax Partner Withum

Colleen Fay has 20 years of experience in accounting and focuses in the alternative investment industry. Her expertise is in tax compliance and consulting for hedge funds, private equity funds, venture capital funds, funds of funds, general partners, and management companies.

Jabeen is a partner at Antika Grill, a Lebanese restaurant in Montclair, NJ, committed to serving the needs of food scarcity issues in collaboration with Toni’s Kitchen, a local food bank. She has provided over 1000 meals to homebound seniors during the pandemic and continues to address the inner-city food deficits.

She is dedicated to the healthcare needs of the public in a diverse manner, covering a multitude of facets of healthcare, including preventative testing, psychological counseling, and pharmaceutical and social needs.

Actively involved in the firm’s internal best practices and continuing professional education program, Colleen develops course curriculum and provides instruction for national and local training seminars. As the firm’s Women in Financial Services Group leader, Colleen oversees networking events and educational seminars for women entrepreneurs, providing opportunities for professional development and further empowering women within the financial services space. Colleen is passionate about this initiative because it provides the opportunity to advocate for our women team members and colleagues across the industry and supports them as they grow into the next generation of leaders.

Colleen channels this same passion for developing the next generation when it comes to her family. She is the Troop Leader for her daughter Lilly’s Junior Girl Scout troop and her daughter Hannah’s Girl Scout Brownie troop. She enjoys the time spent with the girls working together to tackle challenges, increase their confidence, and look to a future without limitations.

Outside of the office, when she’s not spending time with her family, Colleen enjoys training for races, reminding her kids how far she ran that day and wearing the race participant finisher T-shirts. But her favorite sport is her women’s soccer team, the Mambas, a team of moms from her children’s classes. Colleen is the Cricut Queen of the team and can be found using it to make the team merch. The Mambas play soccer weekly but more importantly, support each other endlessly on and off the field.

Colleen is fortunate to have the support of her family, friends, colleagues, and teammates to help her in pursuing her goals personally and professionally.

Samantha Plotino Executive Director

The Provident Bank Foundation

Elinor J. Ferdon Young Woman of Promise

Samantha Plotino is a respected leader and visionary in philanthropy and nonprofit funding, and has served as Executive Director of The Provident Bank Foundation since 2020. Pioneering the philanthropic efforts of The Provident Bank Foundation, Samantha oversees a tristate foundation that funds a total of $1 million–$2 million in grants annually, investing in nonprofit organizations that impact communities across Provident Bank’s New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania markets. Utilizing the principles of trustbased philanthropy combined with high standards of due diligence, Samantha implements the Foundation’s vision and strategies to make smart funding decisions that result in long-term, measurable, and sustainable impact.

Samantha’s pragmatic spirit and creativity, combined with her passion to serve others, makes her an invaluable partner and colleague in the nonprofit sector. A believer in the power of giving back, Samantha is thrilled about supporting community impact not only by investing in diverse organizations that educate, enrich communities, promote health, and empower youth and families, but by connecting her 1,200+ colleagues at Provident Bank, Beacon Trust, and Provident Protection Plus with meaningful volunteer and engagement opportunities.

Samantha earned her bachelor’s degree from the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia and her master’s degree in Administrative Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Samantha has obtained several executive certificates in nonprofit leadership and strategic frameworks from Rutgers University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and the Harvard Kennedy School. She is also an alumna of AmeriCorps.

Danielle Nebres is a resident of Madison, N.J. and a member of the Girl Scout organization for 15 years both as a leader and as a Girl Scout. She is a member of the Juliette Gordon Low Society and served as a Council Delegate for the Girl Scouts of the USA National Convention.

Danielle earned her B.A. in Political Science and enjoyed work in television before working for her family full-time. She is a wife and mother of three, a son and two daughters, for whom she serves as a troop leader. Danielle describes the Girl Scout program as a blueprint for raising her daughters and believes strongly in the confidence and skill-building experiences fundamental to the organization. She has seen that the benefits of being a Girl Scout increase as girls get older and that

Danielle Nebres Girl Scout Volunteer & Entrepreneur

Mitzi Golbek Spirit of Girl Scouting Award

the opportunity to explore, create, and lead in all-girl spaces is vital at every stage. It is her personal mission to amplify the message that Girl Scouts is for girls and women of all ages.

As an active member of her community, Danielle has also enjoyed volunteering with the Madison Rotary Club and Historical Society. She serves on the Board of the Chautauqua Dance Circle, a role that speaks to her passion for dance and the arts. Danielle enjoys engaging with lifelong learners and finding ways to advocate for equity in the arts. When not volunteering, she enjoys preparing and sharing heritage foods from her parents' native country of Trinidad. She has taught classes on Caribbean cuisine and hopes to one day write a cookbook that examines the intersection of food, history, and culture.

The Elinor J. Ferdon Young Woman of Promise Award was founded in 2014 to pay tribute to the former Girl Scouts of the USA National President (1996-1999) and former Girl Scout Council of Bergen County Board Chair (1974-1980). Celebrated for her outstanding leadership of Girl Scouts, Ellie is dedicated to the mission so all girls may reach their full potential. Through this award, we honor Ellie Ferdon’s vision by highlighting an exceptional young woman with a very promising career ahead of her.

The Mitzi Golbek Spirit of Girl Scouting Award was founded in 2007 to memorialize the former Girl Scouts: Lenni-Lenape Council executive director, who led the council from 1989-2002. Celebrated for her innovation in programming and council growth, Mitzi was an advocate of good food shared with friends and family. Through this award, we honor Mitzi Golbek’s vision and her 39 years as a Girl Scout.