Sedbrook Named Athena Leadership Award Finalist
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois CEO Jennifer Sedbrook is among finalists for the Athena Leadership Award.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
Jennifer Sedbrook, CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois since July 2024, is a finalist for the Athena Leadership Award. The council serves 38 counties and nearly 10,000 members.
Why it matters
The recognition highlights leadership in a regional youth organization that serves girls across 38 counties in Central Illinois. It also reflects Sedbrook's career spanning nonprofit management, education policy, and nursing education development.
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois operates with an annual budget exceeding $6 million and serves nearly 10,000 members across 38 counties. The source does not specify the timing of the award decision.
The players
Jennifer Sedbrook
Jennifer Sedbrook is a former Bloomington District 87 school board member and nonprofit executive with prior leadership roles at Habitat for Humanity of McLean County and Illinois State University's Mennonite College of Nursing.
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois
Girl Scouts of Central Illinois is the regional council of the national Girl Scouts organization, serving girls and families across 38 counties.
The details
Sedbrook guided development of Thrive: A Blueprint for Sisterhood, a five-year strategic plan, and helped initiate a Girls Advisory Committee. She also led a partnership with the local Boys and Girls Club that created a multi-age Girl Scout troop.
Timeline
July 2024: Sedbrook became CEO of Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.
2026: Dream It Be It career exploration program for junior high girls is scheduled.
Career Trajectory
Sedbrook's path moves from nonprofit housing leadership to school board service, then to nursing education development and youth leadership. The finalist designation signals recognition for leadership that spans sectors.
Readers interested in nonprofit leadership or youth development can follow the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois council's work through its programs. The Dream It Be It career exploration program offers junior high girls a look at workforce pathways.
The takeaway
Leadership in youth organizations often connects to broader community goals. Sedbrook's career shows how experience across housing, education, and nursing can prepare someone to guide a regional nonprofit serving thousands of girls.
Further reading
Explore more nursing career opportunities in the Bloomington area.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pantagraph.
