Cynthia Bramlett Thompson: National President of Girl Scouts of the USA, 2002 – 2005

Continuing my Black History Month coverage of Black leaders in Girl Scout history, today I’d like to spotlight Cynthia Bramlett Thompson, who served as National Chair of Girl Scouts of the USA from 2002 to 2005.

Cynthia became involved with Girl Scouts when she was in elementary school in Inkster, Michigan, near Detroit. Her mother was chair of cookie sales and camped with her daughters' troops. Later, as a college undergraduate, she spent a summer as a counselor at a Girl Scout camp and loved the experience. In the 1970s she and her daughter Sela became active in Girl Scouts in Seattle, Washington.

When the Thompson family—husband Ronald L. Thompson, daughter Sela, and son Mance—moved to St. Louis in 1981, Cynthia joined the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis (now Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri), serving as cookie chair and as a board member, vice president of corporate planning, and chair of the program committee for the council. She joined the national board of directors of GSUSA in 1996 and became second vice president of the board in 1999. In June of 2002, she served as a GSUSA delegate to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouting in Manila, the Philippines. By the time she was elected as national chair of the board on October 19, 2002, she had been involved in Girl Scouts for more than 35 years.

Cynthia studied literature, science, and the arts as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and she holds two master’s degrees, one in nutrition from Michigan State University and another in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

Cynthia built a very successful business career as a company owner and human resources specialist. In 1993, she and her husband founded automobile parts manufacturer Midwest Stamping, Inc. in Maumee, Ohio, and, in addition to being co-owner, Cynthia served as vice president of human resources. In 2003, Black Enterprise included Midwest Stamping on its list of the 100 largest black-owned industrial/service businesses in the United States, at number 28.

Beyond her business career, Cynthia has dedicated herself to many philanthropic causes, serving on the boards of the St. Louis Science Center and the Missouri State Board of Education, as well as the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri System, a position she was appointed to by then-governor John Ashcroft. She has also served as a trustee of the University of Toledo and was active in the Links, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. In January 2016, Cynthia was elected chair of the Toledo Museum of Art Board of Directors.

Like many Girl Scout alums, Cynthia believes that her formative Girl Scout experience set her up for success in life. “Girl Scouting really does prepare you to interact effectively with others, makes you ready for leadership, and gives you an opportunity to spread your wings,” she said in the Spring 2003 issue of Leader, a GSUSA publication. “Girl Scouting gives any girl an opportunity to develop leadership skills and character, and to become involved in community service activities that will last throughout her lifetime.”

On behalf of the Girl Scout Movement, I want to thank Cynthia B. Thompson for her leadership at Girl Scouts and her commitment to building the next generation of girl leaders—and for being a great role model for Black girls across the country. 

Photo captions:

Photo 1: Cynthia B. Thompson's National Board President Patch (2002 - 2005)

Photo 2: Headshot of Cynthia B. Thompson (circa 2002)

Photo 3: Candid picture of Cynthia B. Thompson