Bayville Woman Recognized By Girl Scouts Of The Jersey Shore

BERKELEY, NJ — A Bayville woman was among eight women recognized by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore for their contributions to local communities at the organization's annual Phenomenal Women Under 40 awards ceremony and fundraising event in Farmingdale.

The celebration on Sept. 22, along with proceeds from a summer-long 50/50 raffle, raised $40,000 to fuel leadership experiences for Girl Scouts in the Jersey Shore region and to fund membership fees for girls who want to become Girl Scouts but whose families are facing financial hardship.

"We are proud to honor and celebrate phenomenal women who go above and beyond to make our communities better places through their work and volunteer service," said Eileen Higgins, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore, which serves nearly 9,000 girls in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Megan O’Keefe is the executive director at Caregiver Volunteers of Central Jersey, a nonprofit that provides supportive service to seniors.

Before leading Caregiver Volunteers, O’Keefe worked in nonprofit development building of value-added programs, fueling campaign growth, competitive advantage, and transformative change in the social service, higher education and healthcare sectors.

O’Keefe enjoys spending time with family, reading and hiking. She, her husband and three children live in Bayville.

The other Ocean County residents presented with the 2021 Phenom Award include Kristina Henderson, Chelsea Masterson and Melissa Schwaner.

Four women from Monmouth County were also recognized: Alaina Bontales, Danielle M. Jones, Eboné Lawrence-Smith and Shannon Oreficé.

The 2021 Phenom recipients were selected from a public nomination process and are "making a positive difference every day as health care professionals, educators, business owners and nonprofit leaders," said Teri O'Connor, chairperson of Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore's board of directors.

"The Phenom honorees are tremendous role models for our Girl Scouts, aspiring to be leaders who make our world a better place," O'Connor added.

For more information about leadership and program opportunities offered by the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore in Monmouth and Ocean counties, e-mail info@gsfun.org or call (800) 785-2090.

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