Our Leadership
When Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts in 1912, she understood that dedicated and dynamic leaders were vital to helping girls develop their full potential. With the support, vision, and commitment of these role models, girls have the opportunity to find—and become—leaders in their communities and the world.
Ann W. Nelson
Chief Executive Officer
Ann W. Nelson joined Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada (GSSN) as CEO in 2020. She provides executive leadership and strategic direction on council initiatives that focus on enriching the lives of the 4,000 girl and adult members across an expansive 96,000 square mile region in northern Nevada and northeastern California. That’s Alturas to Tahoe to Bishop, Ely to Elko, and everywhere in between.
Under Ann’s leadership, GSSN has recovered membership to pre-pandemic numbers, increased community involvement, and reorganized the organizational structure of the nonprofit.
Ann is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts and is an avid outdoors enthusiast. Ann was a part of the Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada council as a child and fondly remembers backpacking, camping and hourseback riding.
Prior to her role as CEO of GSSN, Ann served the community as an attorney for 30 years. Her roles included Legal Council for the Govonor of Nevada, Attorney for a public traded insurance company, and was a professional staff member of the YMCA of the Sierras.
Throughout her career, Ann put her passions into work by establishing benefits for domestic partnerships and mentoring women and girls. Ann retired in 2018 and felt a higher calling to volunteer and serve her community. She was recruited to be the CEO of GSSN in 2020 and has spent the last 3 years guidng GSSN into longterm success.
Our Board of Directors
Meet the Board Chair
Melissa Munro is a lifelong Girl Scout and Gold Award recipient with more than 40 years of membership, including 15 years as a program volunteer, and she now serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada after previously serving as Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee. After a recent move to Humboldt County, she understands the challenges faced by members who live far from the Council’s central governance and is committed to bringing attention to their needs. In her role, she oversees Council and Board meetings, ensures that member direction is carried out, and serves as an ex-officio member of all Board-established committees. She brings experience, dedication, and a strong commitment to equitable support across the Council’s wide geography.
Melissa Munro
Board Chair President
Meet the Immediate Past Chair
Ms. Beggs is the primary attorney at the Law Offices of Lyn E. Beggs, PLLC. Ms. Beggs focuses her practice primarily on administrative law/professional licensing matters and has assisted individuals with matters before a variety of state and federal agencies including the Nevada Boards of Medicine, Nursing, Professional Engineers, Pharmacy, Massage Therapy, Long Term Care Administrators, Social Workers, Chiropractic Physicians, Psychology as well as many others including the Ethics Commission and Nevada Commission for Judicial Discipline. In addition to her administrative practice, Ms. Beggs represents many licensed healthcare professionals in the state of Nevada maintain compliance with state and federal laws in their professional practices.
Ms. Beggs began her career as a law clerk with the Federal District Court, District of Nevada after which she joined the Washoe County Public Defender’s Office as a Deputy Public Defender. Subsequently, Ms. Beggs acted as General Counsel for the Nevada State Board of Medical Examiners. In 2012 Ms. Beggs left the public sector for private practice to assist licensed professionals in administrative actions and established her own firm in 2014.
Ms. Beggs is a Nevada native who received her Juris Doctorate from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon in 1997 after receiving her B.A. in International Affairs at the University of Nevada, Reno in 1994. Ms. Beggs is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association. Ms. Beggs serves as a board member with Kids First Family Services. Ms. Beggs also serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada. Ms. Beggs has been serving on the board as a member since 2017 and has also served on the Executive and Strategic Planning Committees.
Lyn Beggs
Immediate Past Chair
Meet our Officers
Vice Chair
TBD
Secretary
Secretary
Shari Bainter
Treasurer & Chair of Finance Committee
About Shari 
Board Members at Large
Meredith Williams
About Meredith Williams
Lori Brown
About Lori Brown
Katy Simon Holland
About Katy Simon Holland
Amber Joiner
About Amber Joiner
