Scout's honor: Lawyers spearhead strategic planning for Girl Scouts

By Mike Scott Legal News There were a few trips that Kathy Ossian took with her Girl Scouts during the days when the Miller Canfield attorney was a troop leader that she can look back on now and laugh about. Of course, she can laugh now because the stress of planning those trips and of being responsible for a number of young or teenage girls is behind her. But as a former troop leader, and now board member with the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan, Ossian long has been involved with helping young women, including her daughter, a recent college graduate, to grow into professional and community leaders. Ossian served as a troop leader for 13 years but now the Pleasant Ridge resident is channeling her work with the Girl Scouts into more of a strategic venue, recently agreeing to become part of the organization's board of directors for a second time. This is a particularly important time for the Girl Scouts because the organization recently underwent a number of logistical changes that resulted in some significant consolidation. The goal was to better serve its members throughout the region with these changes. "I can provide some support from an information technology law perspective," Ossian said. "The Girl Scouts are looking at new ways to market itself to these young women who have grown up in the digital age so we're trying to put a fresh face on the organization," Ossian said. She is joined by Clark Hill attorney Richard Sundquist in the effort to help the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan grow and thrive. Sundquist, who also works in his firm's Detroit office, grew up as an Eagle Scout in the Farmington Hills area. He has three daughters who were involved in the program. Sundquist's wife, Karen Bolsen, also was a troop leader. You could say that Scouting is also in Sundquist's blood. "I can still remember my own troop number as an Eagle Scout, Troop 263," said Sundquist with a laugh. "It really was one of the greatest experiences of my young life." Sundquist was part of a team at Clark Hill who handled the merger of four Girl Scout councils into the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan that was effective January 1, 2009. But Sundquist's own involvement has been extensive. He has served on the organization's board of directors and as chair of its property committee. Like Ossian, Sundquist uses his legal skills to provide the Girl Scouts with business support. His specialties include real estate, general business, real estate related environmental and bankruptcy law. "The merger was very successful and very necessary," Sundquist said. "The economy has affected the Girl Scouts just like any other (nonprofit) so we had to find ways to cut costs and run more efficiently. This was one of the best ways to do that." The two lawyers are working with board members and volunteers to help the organization have a more modern marketing message. One example is looking at utilizing social media in marketing efforts, such as Facebook pages and "tweets" on the Web site Twitter to distribute the organization's message, Ossian said. Previously Ossian has served on the Girl Scouts' finance committee. But she enjoys the challenge of helping to provide an overall strategic direction for the organization to follow. "There really is no better organization for girls to become involved with if they want to become better leaders and develop social and other important life skills," Ossian said. "All of the national and local programs and events are tied to that message." Like many such organizations, the Girl Scouts can find it difficult to attract new members because there are so many activities competing for girls' time these days. Athletics has become more of a year-round activity for virtually all sports over the last 10-20 years for girls. Dance and music programs also demand more time of female students. "You have so much competition now for the time of these girls but what is great about the Girl Scouts is that they offer a lot of variety," Ossian said. "You don't see the girls getting burned out because they're not just doing one thing all the time." "When I was a troop leader I tried to be as flexible as possible with the girls. If half the troop had a soccer match, then we wouldn't schedule events or activities on those days," she added. One of the challenges that the Girl Scouts are trying to overcome is that the organization is about more than just "cookies and camping," Ossian said. While those are two strong brands the Girl Scouts sport, there is much more to their programs. "We really want to build our strengths and as a board member it is my responsibility to help define a message and create a strategy to build on the depth of activities we offer," Ossian said. With the recent consolidation of the nonprofit, the Girl Scouts are also looking at what to do with certain properties that are now not being used on a regular basis, Ossian said. Sundquist, a Farmington Hills resident, is part of a team responsible for analyzing deeds, checking on the condition of the property, and determining whether to shift programs to different properties, sell or idle some of them. "As you know the real estate market is not very strong right now so it may not make sense for us to sell properties," Sundquist said. "Like anything we do from a business perspective for the Girl Scouts (the board) is trying to maximize our value while providing for the most (enriching) experience for our members." When both Ossian and Sundquist now look at their daughters they recognize the positive difference that the Girl Scouts have made. "The older they get you can see how many of them are focused and have specific (professional and personal) goals," Ossian said. "That experience really does make a difference." Published: Tue, Jan 5, 2010

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