March 2009
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
Linda Hamilton
Council Services Executive
Camp Fire USA National Headquarters
419 306 9268
linda.hamilton@campfireusa.org
PAMELA J. WILCOX TAKES REINS AS INTERIM CEO OF CAMP FIRE USA
(Kansas City, Missouri) – Pamela J. Wilcox, founder and president of SAVé - Staff and Volunteer Excellence – takes over as the Interim CEO of Camp Fire USA.
In announcing this appointment, National Board Chair Gwen Whitson said, "Pamela is a seasoned executive who has had extensive experience in the nonprofit world, in particular as an interim executive. She specializes in tackling complex challenges, deploying her deep understanding of people and business, and an ability to pragmatically balance day-to-day issues and an organization´s strategic needs."
Ms. Wilcox brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, board operations, strategic planning, and staff management. Ms. Wilcox works at the forefront of change, creating innovative ways to optimize volunteer and staff talents and implementing new methods for strengthening board and staff leadership.
Ms. Wilcox’s prior experiences include serving as executive director for Alpha Phi International. Ms. Wilcox helped the board restructure governance, eliminated $1 million in annual losses, and rebuilt the international office. As vice president of education and marketing for the Appraisal Institute, she completed the merger of two large nonprofits and created a unique committee/staff approach to educational development that fueled the growth of a $5 million program portfolio.
In the private sector, Ms. Wilcox was president of MindLeap, a subsidiary of Education Management Corporation, where she directed planning for a $10 million start-up school for design. As vice president for Chemical Bank, she facilitated the merger of credit card service areas and directed the Chicago customer service operations.
Ms. Wilcox graduated cum laude from Carthage College and holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She currently serves on the board of the Institute of Cultural Affairs and is a member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Association Forum of Chicagoland, BoardSource, and the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.
"I am very happy to join Camp Fire USA and appreciate the opportunity to contribute to its success," Wilcox said. "What drew me to Camp Fire USA was its mission to build caring, confident youth and future leaders. The need for children to gain confidence, develop their own skills, and be good stewards of others and the environment is more important now than ever."
For nearly a century, Camp Fire USA has changed young people’s lives. Camp Fire USA offers girls and boys, ages birth to 21, opportunities to learn and play together in comfortable settings. Through their interaction and involvement with Camp Fire USA, they build confidence, independence, and develop an awareness of who they are and who they can become. They learn to protect nature by discovery, curiosity, compassion, and concern for the environment. As Camp Fire USA continues to strengthen youth and families, the benefit can be seen in local communities. Camp Fire USA, with national headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, provides all-inclusive, coeducational programs, providing nearly 22 million program hours each year, in hundreds of communities across the United States. For more information, visit www.campfireusa.org.