When you think of great leaders having a lasting impact, Anna Maria Chávez, Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer for the National Council on the Aging, has created transformational change for millions of girls and women around the world. She was the CEO of the Girl Scouts and also one of the co-founding women, along with Sheryl Sandberg, and Condoleezza Rice to create the Ban Bossy Campaign. Anna’s servant leadership mindset started while growing up in Eloy Arizona, and she shares in this interview, how at the age of 12 years old, she decided to become a civil rights attorney. Joining the Girl Scouts at a young age, helped Anna to learn leadership skills, and gave her the chance to give back to the community. Listen to this discussion and learn about the influence our actions have on girls growing up, why having a mentor is so important, what it is like to be a “first of” leader and the challenges and benefits it can have on a community. At the end of our discussion, Anna encourages each of us to take action and create a lasting impact on our future.
10 Transformational Leadership Insights:
At the end of the interview, we discuss how 60% of women over the age of 60 years old, feel financial insecurity. Here are steps you can do today to make sure you are prepared for retirement.
7 Actions You Can Take Today
“We have a great future ahead of us”- Anna Maria Chávez
It is with sincere gratitude I thank Anna for this incredible interview. If you have any questions about these topics, and if I can help you on your journey, reach out to me and join our LinkedIn Group!
Anna’s Recommended Resource: NCOA.ORG is the oldest nonprofit advocating for adults aging.
Credits: As always, thanks to Christy Haussler and Team Podcast for editing this podcast.
Biography
Anna Maria Chávez is the Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer for the National Council on Aging, whose mission is to improve the lives of millions of older adults, especially those who are struggling. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), the nation’s oldest service and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the health and economic security of older Americans. She ensures that NCOA’s fiscal, operations, fundraising, marketing, consumer experience, advocacy, human capital, technology, programmatic and organizational culture strategies are effectively implemented across all segments of the organization. Anna led the NCOA operations team in achieving NCOA’s 2020 social impact goal one year early in 2019.
Anna was promoted into this role after serving as NCOA’s Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President for External Affairs where she led the teams responsible for marketing and communications, fund development, strategic partnerships, public policy and advocacy and the National Institute for Senior Centers.
Chávez developed the leadership skills growing up in Eloy, Arizona, that would propel her into a career of public service. Her desire to transform the world through servant leadership led her to Yale University, before pursuing a juris doctorate at the University of Arizona. She held numerous posts in President Bill Clinton’s administration and later returned to Arizona to serve then-governor Janet Napolitano.
Her success led to her appointment as CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA, where she served from 2011-2016 as the first woman of color to lead the 104-year group with 2.7 million members in over 90 countries and 59 million alumnae in America. In 2016, Anna was named as one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune magazine, cited for her vision and creativity in working to revitalize the Girl Scout brand for a new century and was named number 22 by Fast Company in its annual list of the most creative people in business.
Anna is one of the world’s top experts on women’s leadership, youth development, and aging issues and draws from her 25 years of public service and nonprofit leadership. She brings a wealth of experience from previous legal, public policy, nonprofit management, and brand management positions in Arizona, Texas, Washington, DC, and New York City.
Her keen insights and dynamic presentations have inspired thousands of individuals around the globe to lead authentically and has helped organizations work together more collaboratively and create dynamic impact. Anna has appeared on CBS News, NBC’s The Today Show, FOX News Channel, CNBC’s Squawk Box, CNN, Bloomberg Radio, NPR, and she’s a contributing writer on Huffington Post.
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