Jill Pasewalk, president and CEO of Camp Fire USA since June 2006, has announced she will retire at the end of January, after 20 years with the organization and a total of 30 years in the youth development field.
Pasewalk, who formerly served in various state Camp Fire organizations, was senior vice president of programs and field services when she was named to the top job in June 2006. Before joining Camp Fire, she served as the executive director of the YWCA of Santa Cruz County, Calif., and with Girls Scouts USA.
She made her retirement announcement in a letter released this week.
“In the upcoming months, we will be refocusing our staff and working with our councils to focus on three primary areas: fund development, visibility and program quality,” Pasewalk wrote. “The transition provides an opportunity for change.”
Pasewalk said she plans to move to California, where her daughter is expecting her first child. She did not indicate who might succeed her as president.
Camp Fire USA will turn 100 in 2010. According to Pasewalk’s letter, it provided 21 million hours of youth activities in 2008.
