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As interim CEO of Girl Scouts of Central California South, Delailah Fajardo-Rosencrans leads an organization serving thousands of girls from kindergarten through 12th grade across Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties. Raised in Orange Cove, Fajardo-Rosencrans has built a career in nonprofit leadership and community service. She now draws on those experiences to help Central Valley girls develop confidence, leadership skills and a sense of belonging.

Share about your career path and how it led to the role you fill today.

I like to say I was a late bloomer. I attended FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles) because I loved fashion and began my career at the Gottschalks corporate buying office, where incredible leaders believed in me and helped me build confidence while I was still finding my way.

Although I enjoyed my work, I began to feel called toward a career that would allow me to serve my community more directly. That led me into the nonprofit sector, where I held leadership roles with several Fresno-area organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, Sequoia Council; Alliance for Medical Outreach and Relief and Community Justice Alliance. Each experience gave me a deeper understanding of the Central Valley and the power of community-based organizations to create meaningful change.

Looking back, every step of my career prepared me for Girl Scouts. Today, I have the privilege of bringing together my experience in nonprofit leadership, community service and youth development to help girls discover confidence, purpose and the belief that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.

What do the Girl Scouts represent to you?

Girl Scouts represents possibility. It is a place where girls discover they are stronger than they think, more courageous than they realize and capable of accomplishing things they may never have imagined for themselves.

For me, that mission is deeply personal. Growing up, I was a shy little girl who often questioned whether I belonged or whether my voice mattered. I see a little bit of myself in so many of the girls we serve. That is why I believe every girl deserves to have someone who believes in her before she fully believes in herself.

How does the business community support the Girl Scouts in the Central Valley?

One of the things I love most about the Central Valley is that people genuinely care about one another. Our business community understands that investing in girls isn’t simply supporting a nonprofit — it’s investing in the future of our communities.

Through sponsorships, mentorship, volunteerism and partnerships, local businesses help us create opportunities that many girls might not otherwise have. Even something as simple as supporting the Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls build confidence, learn how to set goals and discover what they’re capable of.

When women and men come together to invest in girls — whether that’s by leading a troop, volunteering or simply showing up for a girl — we’re not just helping shape future leaders. We’re strengthening families, businesses and the entire Central Valley.

What is the importance of cultivating belonging in the Girl Scouts and in the workplace?

Belonging changes lives. I know because I’ve experienced what it feels like not to belong. As a young girl, I was bullied because of the color of my skin. It took years for me to find my confidence.

That’s why creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, respected and included is so important to me. At Girl Scouts, every girl deserves to know there is a place where she belongs exactly as she is. The same is true in the workplace. The strongest organizations are built by people with different experiences, perspectives and ideas who are united by a shared purpose. When people know they belong, they do their best work.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?

The best advice I’ve ever received wasn’t something someone said to me. It was something my family lived every day. My mom taught me that our voices matter and that we have a responsibility to stand up for others. My grandfather taught me that every generation should work to leave the next one better than they found it.

Those lessons became my leadership philosophy. I believe success isn’t measured by the title we hold or the recognition we receive. It’s measured by the opportunities we create for others and the lives we help change.