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A Profile of Ellie Ferdon
By Amelia Duggan

Elinor “Ellie” Johnstone Ferdon, Alpine, is a natural leader. You feel it the moment you meet her. You cannot help but be captivated by her genuine warmth and enthusiasm for the power of women, all women. Through her lifetime commitment to volunteerism, Ellie has demonstrated how women make a difference in their communities at all stage of their lives. Her personal journey inspires others to follow, but there is something more. She also inspires them to become leaders themselves. Whether she’s with a Brownie Troop or a board of directors, Ellie has the gift of bringing out the leadership qualities that lie within. You want to be involved; you want to do your part. Her dedication is contagious.
Ellie Ferdon has been involved with numerous volunteer and philanthropic activities, but it has been the Girl Scouts and the United Way that have most capitalized on her talents.

Ellie’s eyes sparkle when she begins to talk about the Girl Scouts. An avid participant as a child, dedicated troop leader as a mother, and now spokesperson for the organization on the international scene, Ellie is passionate about the value of the Girl Scout experience. She believes that, through Girl Scouts, girls discover their own passions and talents while performing meaningful community service. The variety of activities allows them to explore their interests and learn about their future role as women.

“Girls today recognize that they are leaders and have enormous potential,” Ellie says. “The Girl Scouts and other programs like it instill values, curiosity, adventure and social responsibility in the young women of tomorrow.
” In her tenure as national president of Girl Scouts of the USA, Ellie worked hard to promote the notion that Girl Scouts is about inspiring leadership in young women, not just about cookie sales. The girls learn about money management and develop interpersonal skills while meeting the public. The cookie sales are only a fraction of the important lessons that Girl Scouts learn from their experiences.

The Genesis of a Leader
Born in New York City, Ellie’s first experience with Girl Scouts came in post- World War II Germany. While her father was a U.S. Army officer stationed in Frankfurt, Ellie became interested in Girl Scouts and started the first international troop, literally, Troop #1. This would be the beginning of a lifetime of commitment to Girl Scouts and providing opportunities to help women achieve their potential.

“I was proud to establish the first Girl Scout troop on foreign soil back in 1945,” Ellie says. “But it was when I returned to the States and attended boarding school in Massachusetts that I really began to develop my interests.”

Ellie remembers the dynamic role models from her years at Mary A. Burnham School, a secondary boarding school for girls. She believes that the lack of competition with boys enabled the students to learn about each other in unique ways. No doubt a role model herself, Ellie was president of her class, president of the athletic association and active in sports. She believes that her participation helped develop her self-esteem and that athletics, in particular, demonstrate how girls can be successful.

After completing her years in boarding school, Ellie attended Katharine Gibbs and then worked at Sports Illustrated in New York City, where she worked in the advertising department. Ellie would marry and begin to raise a family with her husband, Robert. She reignited her interest in Girl Scouts, served as troop leader, and volunteered for public relations responsibilities. This would lead her to fund-raising for the organization and eventually to a position on the board of directors for the Girl Scout Council of Bergen County, where she served as president for nine years. Her dedication did not go unnoticed, and her involvement would evolve into a leadership role as the national president of Girl Scouts of the USA, the largest organization for girls and young women in the world.

She is currently a member of the board of trustees for the Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts International Centre, Our Chalet, Adelboden, Switzerland, a member of the WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) Fund Development Committee and a member of the board of directors of the Olave Baden-Powell Society of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. She is also a member and former president of the board of directors of the World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, Inc., which seeks to foster world friendship by supporting Girl Guide and Girl Scout projects around the globe.

“WAGGGS, with centers in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Mexico and India, brings girls together from around the world to share experiences, talk about Girl Scouts and to address issues of global importance,” says Ellie.

If asked to address a group of Girl Scouts about how they can prepare themselves to step into leadership roles, Ellie would offer this advice.

“Ask yourselves, ‘What is it that you need today that will help you do the best you can?’ You have the ability to get things done. Transfer those skills to help the people around you.”

Meaningful Community Service
A Bergen County Pioneer Woman of the ’90s, Ellie has served on the boards of The Urban League, Liberty Science Center, the National Assembly of Health and Service Organization, The Community Foundation of Bergen County and Fairleigh Dickinson University, to name a few. Her résumé is bursting with accomplishments and accolades, punctuated by her lasting commitment to women and women’s issues.

To say that Ellie Ferdon is a role model for women would be an understatement. Blushing when you speak to her about her many accomplishments, she takes pride in her ability to inspire other women to fulfill their roles to make a difference in their communities.

“It makes me feel good inside to know that other women are inspired by my efforts,” says Ellie. “It’s vital for women to become involved in their communities through churches, Girl Scouts, the United Way and so much more. It’s a very powerful feeling to be able to exact positive change. That is the paycheck!”

Her latest endeavor is the Women United in Philanthropy Initiative with Bergen County’s United Way. It’s only natural that Ellie would be actively involved in an initiative sponsored by the United Way, given her relationship with the organization over the years. She was an active member of the United Way of America Board of Governors from 1996 to 2003, serving as chair until 2002.

She is also past chair of the board of directors of Bergen County’s United Way, is a current member of the board and serves on the Executive Committee. She was a founder of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society, a national major gifts program.

Ellie is firmly committed to the Women United in Philanthropy Initiative because she believes it will serve as a catalyst to help women demonstrate their economic power in philanthropic endeavors. She is part of the steering committee and will work closely with founding members to ensure the success of the initiative.

“Women have more of a depth of feeling that comes forward,” Ellie says. “We need to do more than recognize issues; we need to take a leadership role. The United Way gives us focus, showing women how we can solve the problems in our communities.”

Ellie Ferdon truly exemplifies the spirit of volunteerism and community service. It is fitting that she is the recipient, not once, but twice, of the “Thanks Badge,” Girl Scouting’s highest recognition for adults. Thanks, Ellie, for all you have done and all you have yet to do.