Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council welcomes Melinda “Mel” Underhill as board chair
June 16, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2026
HOUSTON, TX — Melinda “Mel” Underhill, chief volunteer and human resources officer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, began her three-year term as chair of the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council (GSSJC) board of directors on June 1.
Underhill was a Girl Scout as a girl, an experience that fuels her passion for the Girl Scout mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character. She has volunteered with GSSJC since 2015 and became a member of the board of directors in 2016.
Since that time, she has held several key leadership roles, including Executive Committee member, board chair-elect, vice chair of the board of directors, and chair of the Human Resources Committee. A native Texan, Underhill earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
As the chief volunteer and human resources officer for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, she plays a critical role in one of the region’s largest volunteer-driven organizations.
“Mel’s deep commitment to Girl Scouts and her proven leadership make her exceptionally well-suited to guide the council over the next three years,” said GSSJC CEO Mary Vitek. “Her passion for empowering girls and her strong governance experience will help ensure we continue to deliver impactful programming for the more than 39,000 K-12 girls that we serve.”
Underhill is accompanied in her new role by the following new and returning members of the board:
- Kirsten Davenport (vice chair), Attorney/Owner, Davenport Law Firm, P.C.
- Jane Gasdaska (vice chair), Retired, Change Management lead, Phillips 66
- Suzanne “Sue” Kean (secretary), Retired, Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary, Rubicon Oilfield International
- Kathryn “Kathy” Sanders (treasurer), Retired, Managing Director, Accenture
- Erin Abbey, Principal, Deloitte Consulting
- Jigna Bhakta, Community Leader
- Giovanna Carollo Carter, Managing Director, Duncan Family Office
- Lorena Cavazos, Vice President of Sales, Telemundo Houston
- Anna Bayardo Charlton, Community Leader
- Ellen Chin, Managing Partner, Global Head of Human Resources, Hines
- Carvana Cloud, Founder and Executive Director, The Empowered Survivor
- Ge’Juan Cole, Managing Director of Port Infrastructure, Port Houston
- Samina Farid, Retired, Co-Founder, Executive Vice President & COO, Merrick Systems, Inc.
- Martha Gurwit, Corporate Board Member
- MeiPo Ho, Director of Project Management, Market Operations, Energy Exemplar
- Audrey Ogawa Johnson, Head of Compliance-Corporate Social Responsibility, Dallas Cowboys Merchandising Ltd. And 81Eighty Promotions LP
- Candice Koederitz, Retired, Financial Services Executive Head of Capital, Morgan Stanley
- Ana Moreno Kopf, Manager, Retired, Digital HR-Pay & Benefits, Shell USA
- Marty Lundstrom, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Shell Energy Solutions
- Katie McConnell, Director of Texas State Initiatives, UTHealth Houston’s Children’s Learning Institute
- Judy Moses, Retired, Reservoir Management Director, Americas, Chevron Technology Center
- Cassandra Mott, Partner and Co-Chair, BLANKROME’s Houston Office
- Anne Neeson, Executive Vice President & CEO, Memorial Hermann Foundation
- Shauna Noonan, Fellow & Senior Director, Emerging Technologies, OXY
- Tracey Prince, Director of Government Affairs, Houston First Corporation
- Katie Pryor, Executive Vice President and COO, Greater Houston Partnership
- Tracy Pryor, Assistant Chief Operating Officer, HCA Houston Healthcare
- Shavonnah Roberts Schreiber, Founder and CEO, SNR Creative
- Adriana Loyo Solemsaas, District Manager, Kroger
- Carol Warley, Partner, RSM US LLP
- Sara DeJay Willis, Vice President and Wealth Advisor, Bernstein Private Wealth
“I am incredibly appreciative that these leaders are willing to share their valuable time and expert guidance with our council,” said Underhill. “Their collective perspective will help Girl Scouts across our 26-county area thrive for generations to come. We are excited to partner with GSSJC’s generous volunteers and staff to strengthen opportunities for girls and expand our organization’s reach across Southeast Texas.”
GSSJC recognized the outgoing board members whose terms ended May 31, including:
- Betsy Kamin (outgoing board chair)
- James “Jay” Lewis
- Ann E. Deaton
- Amanda Vavilala
Kamin’s three-year term as board chair and council president concluded May 31, bringing 20-plus years of GSSJC board service to an end. To recognize her generous leadership, especially throughout the council’s CampHER capital campaign, GSSJC staff presented Kamin with a miniature Highland cow that will reside at Misty Meadows Ranch, a Girl Scout camp in Conroe, Texas. Kamin invited members of her Girl Scout troop to name the cow; the girls chose “Shaggy Low” as a nod to Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low.
Media Contact:
Shivani Parmar
Public Relations Manager
713-292-0372
sparmar@sjgs.org
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