Diane Koster approached being an empty nester like few have. She and her husband picked up their roots in Iowa and moved 1,100 miles east to Hartford to pursue a new start as vice president of fund development and communications for Girl Scouts of Connecticut.
Koster had held a similar position with Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois for seven years.
“It was time to be adventurous,” said Koster, 50, who began her new job on June 1. “I was born and raised in Iowa. This was a new adventure for me.” An adventure aided by her children, a son, 24, and daughter, 21, being out of the house.
One thing does shock Koster about her transition to her new home. “I’m really surprised at how fast the people drive and I’m a fast driver,” she said with a laugh, adding, “When people go 90 miles per hour in a 55 zone, that’s scary.”
In her short time here, Koster, a former scout, and her husband have explored the many nooks and crannies of Connecticut as they look for a place to buy a home and experience what the region has to offer. “There’s so much culture in this area of the country. We’re looking forward to enjoying all of it,” Koster said, with plans to visit New York City and the shoreline on her agenda.
Koster graduated from the University of Iowa and earned a CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designation in March 2008. She has been an active member of the local Rotary in Iowa , serving as its president. She was recently honored as the club officer of the year. Koster also is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
She does admit to getting some skepticism from people when she says she works for the Girl Scouts. Koster said volunteers, troop leaders, and even the scouts themselves aren’t aware there is a big corporation making everything run smoothly behind the scenes.
“That’s good. We don’t want them aware of the inner workings,” she said. “We want them to enjoy their scouting experience and have fun as a scout.”
