OUR NEWS
The Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians will honor Sheila Boyington at the Trefoil Society Luncheon to be held at The Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, 1511 Riverview Road, on Tuesday, Nov. 1, at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $25 and available for purchase at supportgirlscouts.org. Table and ticket reservations also may be made via email at philanthropy@girlscoutcsa.org or by phone at 800-474-1912, ext. 2007.
The Trefoil Society Luncheon is named after the trefoil-shaped pin Girl Scouts receive that symbolizes acceptance of ethical leadership values. The Trefoil Society provides financial support to Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians. Annual luncheons are held in each of the council’s three regions.
“Each year, we honor a woman in each region of our council who exemplifies the spirit of Girl Scouting,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians. “Sheila Boyington embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and is a respected innovator in the educational technology industry. She is a dedicated leader and mentor and has a legacy of impactful work in local, state and national efforts around supporting girls and women in STEM. Sheila is an excellent example for our Girl Scouts, and we are delighted for the opportunity to honor her at the Trefoil Society Luncheon.”
Ms. Boyington has served as the co-founder and CEO/President of Thinking Media, a Chattanooga-based educational technology firm, for the past 24 years. Thinking Media is the creator of Learning Blade—system of interactive online lessons and printable at-home activities for 5th to 9th graders that has been validated by Battelle to increase awareness and interest in STEM careers with five statewide contracts currently in use in over 30 states. Thinking Media was the creator of ACT-acquired KeyTrain which has been hailed as the most effective system for improving basic skills, used by millions of students/clients in high schools, community colleges, one stops and major corporations throughout the United States and abroad.
Ms. Boyington serves at the national states chair for Million Women Mentors—the premier network dedicated to encouraging girls and women around the world to pursue, persist and succeed in STEM careers. For more than six years, she has helped to launch, grow, and now lead the state-level mentor movement with honorary state chairs, state chairs and steering committees in more than 44 states. She also serves as an advisory co-chair for the Women’s Business Collaborative and chairs the WBC STEM Initiative.
Ms. Boyington serves in many other leadership positions: as vice chair of the Board of Trustees for Erlanger Health System, as chair of the Tennessee Entertainment Commission Board, as a board member of the Foundation of the College System of Tennessee, on the Board of Directors for Bioscape Digital, on the Advisory Board for Enterprising Women, and on the Brainerd High School Institute of Entrepreneurship Advisory Board.
Ms. Boyington has won numerous awards for her entrepreneurship and leadership including the Athena, Navigator of Entrepreneurship, Supernova, Woman of Distinction Award, Chamber Small Business of the Year, and Chattanooga Engineer Entrepreneur of the Year. Sheila is a Professional Engineer, and holds a Master’s Degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Florida. Ms. Boyington worked for environmental firms such as Black & Veatch and Parsons Engineering prior to founding Thinking Media.
She was a Girl Scout herself. She and her husband and business partner, Dr. Dane Boyington have two married daughters and she was an active Girl Scout troop leader when her children were growing up.
Trefoil Society Luncheon Sponsors to date are First Horizon, EPB, The Trust Company of Tennessee, Thompson Engineering, and Chambliss, Bahner, & Stophel P.C. Those wishing to honor Sheila Boyington with a sponsorship may contact philanthropy@girlscoutcsa.org. All donation checks should be sent to Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians, Attn: Philanthropy, 1567 Downtown West Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37919.
