Girl Scouts set Women of Distinction celebration March 14

Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay announced the 18th Annual Women of Distinction celebration to begin at 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 14, at the Hotel duPont in Wilmington. With Nurturing Nature as this year’s theme, the 2017 Women of Distinction honoree is Kate Hackett, executive director of Delaware Wild Lands. This year's honorary chair is Dr. Nancy Targett, the first woman president of the University of Delaware, who is now provost at the University of New Hampshire. Dinner tickets are $175 per person. For more information, go to https://gscbticketinfo.ticketleap.com/wod18 or call 302-778-0293.

Each year the event celebrates a woman who has made a difference in her community, inspired others and provided a positive role model for girls and young women. The celebration brings together Delaware leaders and outstanding young women to celebrate the significant contributions made by women, and celebrates the courage, confidence and character of one of Delaware's elite businesswomen.

The Women of Distinction program provides a leadership opportunity for teen Girl Scouts who are invited to mix, mingle and make connections with elite business leaders and government officials at these signature events. Girls serve in leadership positions that make this event successful. They serve as greeters, lead the pledge and participate in the program.

Hackett has more than 20 years of leadership experience in land and water conservation and management. Her hope is that each person who attends the celebration will leave with a better understanding of how nature directly and profoundly impacts public health, individual well-being and economic vitality. Her work in the environmental arena includes land acquisition, protection of water resources, public policy, government relations, fundraising and constituency building. When Gov. John Carney was elected, he appointed her to serve on his transition team.

Throughout Hackett's career, she has successfully implemented regional initiatives that improve the quality of natural resources and also protect the economic vitality of working landscapes. She has collaborated on these issues with a broad range of stakeholders including residents, landowners, nonprofits, advisory boards, and regional and federal government and environmental organizations. Her geographic experience includes work in the Mid-Atlantic,  the Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes region, Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and northeastern Africa (Nairobi, Kenya and Eritrea). Prior to joining Delaware Wild Lands in 2011, Hackett worked for The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service, the Eritrean Ministry of Water Works and UNICEF.

She holds two bachelor’s degrees from Yale University (political science and environmental studies) and a master’s in public policy from the University of Michigan, Ford School of Public Policy. Hackett lives in Wilmington with her husband Dr. Kent Messer, professor of food and resource economics at the University of Delaware, and their two daughters.

Over 100 years ago, the first Girl Scout troop was founded on the Delmarva Peninsula. With nearly 10,000 girls supported by 4,000 adult volunteers, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay helps girls discover their strengths, passions and talents. Today, they continue the Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.

With programs for girls in 14 counties in Delaware and the Eastern Shores of Maryland and Virginia, Girl Scouts offers today's girls a chance to do something amazing. To volunteer, reconnect, donate or join, go to www.gscb.org or call 302-456-7150 or 800-341-4007.