Girl Scouts announces 2025 Colorado Springs Women of Distinction
Six extraordinary women honored
This year, Girl Scouts of Colorado is honoring six outstanding women in the Pikes Peak region as the new class of Women of Distinction. These women have displayed exemplary leadership and a commitment to advancing the profile of women and girls in our community. They serve as inspirations to Girl Scouts and demonstrate the courage, confidence, and character that girls gain through the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. This year’s honorees were selected by a committee of their peers and chosen based on their contributions to the community, both professionally and personally. These women join a network of more than 100 Women of Distinction alums in the Colorado Springs area. They are shining examples of corporate, civic,educational and philanthropic leaders, who serve as role models for our female leaders of tomorrow.
Class of 2025, Women of Distinction
- SherryLynn Boyles, JD, president and chief executive officer, Joint Initiatives for Youth and Families - SherryLynn Boyles, joined Joint Initiatives in 2019 as president and CEO, and has overseen the implementation of universal preschool in El Paso County as well as the recent launch of the Ascend Center in partnership with Colorado Springs School District 11. The center convenes multiple agencies to provide wraparound services to struggling youth throughout the community. She moved to Colorado Springs in late 2015 to serve as the CEO of TESSA, the domestic violence and sexual assault center in El Paso and Teller counties that serves more than 10,000 victims each year. She created new programs, including a legal advocacy program that engaged 30+ local attorneys, a housing rental assistance program, and a clinical program. She believes that by encouraging women and girls to use their voices, we create a better world for us now and for our daughters who will inherit the world from us.
- Shirley Martinez, director, Multicultural Outreach and Accessibility, Pikes Peak Library District - Proud mother of four and grandmother to eight, Shirley Martinez has dedicated more than 20 years to the military, starting in the Navy and moving on to become a Journeyman Welder in the Air Defense Artillery. After retiring, she worked at Colorado Springs Utilities as a senior EEO/compliance specialist and diversity advisor. Martinez has earned numerous awards, including the 2013 Secretary of Defense Employer Freedom Award and the 2024 Pikes Peak Women's Unsung Heroines Award. She currently serves as the director of Multicultural Outreach and Accessibility for Pikes Peak Library District and holds leadership roles in various organizations such as the Fountain Fort Carson School Board and the MLK Jr. Preservation Society. She is also a doctoral candidate at the University of Phoenix and volunteers for several nonprofits in El Paso County. Martinez’s commitment to her community and her many accomplishments make her a true inspiration.
- Linda Meredith, chief operating officer, CPCD…giving children a head start - Linda Meredith is a passionate advocate for causes that support "people and purpose." With a rich history in volunteerism, including the Girl Scouts, she has dedicated herself to community involvement. Since her college days in early childhood education, Meredith has volunteered with families learning English, served as a Big Sister, and supported the Special Olympics in Fort Collins. Her professional journey includes leadership roles in organizations uplifting early childhood educators, such as the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Head Start Association, where she currently serves as chairwoman. Active in Leadership Pikes Peak and the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute, Meredith continues to enhance life in Colorado Springs.
- Michelle Talarico, co-owner and director of sales, Picnic Basket Catering, Cravings Five Star Events, and Buffalo Gals Grilling Company - A Colorado College alum, Michelle Talarico's been a community leader in Colorado Springs for more than 35 years. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Children’s Literacy Center, and Pikes Peak Hospice and Palliative Care. She graduated from the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute program at The Center for Creative Leadership in 2002 and has chaired several successful fundraising events. Talarico supports various organizations annually, including TESSA, Habitat for Humanity, and Junior Achievement. She was awarded the 2021 Athena Award by Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC and the Smith Tutt Positive Impact Award in 2023. Talarico was sworn in as a councilmember serving City Council District 3 in April 2023. Her companies have consistently won the Gold Best Catering Category for more than 30 years and are among the Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses in Colorado for 2024.
- Deborah Thornton, curious choreographer of creativity, Imagination Celebration - Deborah Thornton is the curious choreographer of creativity (aka executive director) for Imagination Celebration, producing brain-stimulating, community-building, life-enhancing experiences to demonstrate the power of the arts and the impact of the creative process. She has served on Colorado nonprofit boards and staffs for 35 years, focusing on education, community vitality, individual empowerment, and economic development. With Imagination Celebration, she created a 75-member Leadership Council with a shared vision; presented live performances for thousands of families; developed the What IF…Festival of Innovation and Imagination, supporting creative education and innovation; and helped the Cultural Office of the Pikes Peak Region create Military Arts Connection, providing the healing power of art. She is proudly promoting public art experiences, Portals, via life-sized Zoom, to connect children and adults with people around the world, and Creative Exchange, a partnership with Diversified Consulting and InnerCHANGE Works, to help Afghan women refugees and children use creativity to address trauma. She loves imagining (and creating) possibilities!
- Dr. Manya Whitaker, interim president, Colorado College - Dr. Manya Whitaker is originally from Washington, D.C., but grew up a Southern Belle in Charlotte, N.C. Life’s journey has also taken her to New Hampshire, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. No matter where she is, she always has three things: a book, a dog, and a good show to watch. In 2015, she met her now husband, Dr. Michael Sawyer, and enjoys reading, dog raising, and TV watching with him. But when she can’t lounge around the house or travel to the next international destination, Whitaker is hard at work at her job and in the community, always striving to improve educational access and opportunities for underserved populations. She is currently the interim president of Colorado College and has served on many nonprofit boards, including AAYLC, Pikes Peak Prep Charter School, and recently, the Pikes Peak Community Foundation. In all she does, she embraces the ethos, “lifting as we climb.”
Girl Scouts of Colorado will welcome the Class of 2025 honorees from 5:30 to 8 p.m., April 22, at Weidner Field (111 W. Cimarron St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903).
“It is an honor to introduce this year’s remarkable Women of Distinction class. They are strong, bold, empowered women who represent the leadership and excellence that powers today’s world, and they are outstanding role models for our girls,” said Leanna Clark, CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado.
Proceeds from the event will support Girl Scouts of Colorado’s crucial leadership development programs in entrepreneurship, outdoors, STEM, and life skills for more than 15,200 youth members across Colorado.
January 16, 2025
