El Cajon resident Mary Jean Anderson — owner and president of Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air — was among Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women of 2017. Anderson received her Cool Woman award during a recent luncheon and ceremony at Paradise Point Resort. Anderson is a former Girl Scout, and has a daughter, Kelly Jo, who was a Girl Scout.
El Cajon resident Mary Jean Anderson — owner and president of Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air — was among Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women of 2017. Anderson received her Cool Woman award during a recent luncheon and ceremony at Paradise Point Resort. Anderson is a former Girl Scout, and has a daughter, Kelly Jo, who was a Girl Scout.
“We are proud to honor Mary Jean Anderson for her extraordinary leadership and community service,” Girl Scouts San Diego CEO Carol M. Dedrich said. “Her personal and professional life makes her a consummate role model for girls. She is a prime example of how Girl Scouting shapes leaders.”
CBS News 8 anchor Marcella Lee, who is also the parent of a Girl Scout, served as emcee for the 17th annual event. The co-chairs, prior Cool Women honorees Julia Brown and Judge M. Margaret McKeown, shared stories of how their Girl Scout experiences have influenced their lives. Brown is chair emerita and trustee of the UC San Diego Foundation Board and active on a number of other local boards, including Girl Scouts San Diego’s. McKeown is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and an adjunct professor at the USD School of Law.
During the program, each Cool Woman was introduced by a teen Girl Scout who had interviewed the honoree before the event.
“Mary Jean Anderson credits her Girl Scout experiences with teaching her how to stay true to herself and give back to others,” Girl Scout Reagan Cloutier told the audience. “Becoming a top cookie seller made her feel good about herself, and helped her develop the confidence required to run a multi-million dollar company. Now, as president and founder of Anderson Plumbing, Heating and Air, Mary Jean takes pride in the ‘culture of caring’ her firm promotes for its employees and the community of San Diego. Three words sum up Mary Jean: confident, charismatic … and cool!”
Anderson founded her award-winning company in 1978, and now has more than 170 employees — including many female managers and technicians. Anderson is a major supporter of the local Susan G. Komen chapter and a national leader for Troops to Trades, a program that helps veterans train for careers in the skilled trades.
As Reagan noted during her introduction, Anderson attributes much of her professional success to Girl Scouting.
“Being a Girl Scout was the highlight of my youth. I truly believe that where I am today in life has a direct correlation to my scouting days,” reflects Anderson. “I learned self-confidence from selling cookies as well as goal setting and organizational skills. I also loved earning as many badges as I could because each one taught me something new!”
On the morning of the Cool Women luncheon, Anderson was among the 2017 Cool Women and honorees of prior years who led a mentoring session with a group of 30 Girl Scouts, including Reagan. The female executives spoke with the girls in small groups about how to create successful careers and live fulfilling lives.
Upon receiving the Cool Women award, Anderson commented, “It’s been an amazing adventure getting to know some of the Girl Scouts of today. And I want all of you to know, that from what I’ve seen, our future is in really good hands!”
Girl Scouts San Diego’s Cool Women of 2017 also include:
Marcela Celorio, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego
Carol Rowell Council, co-founder, SDSU Department of Women’s Studies
Phyllis Epstein, community volunteer and philanthropist
Felena Hanson, founder, Hera Hub
Lorie Hearn, executive director and editor, inewsource
Patty Maysent, CEO, UC San Diego Health
Brittney Reese, Olympic medalist; coach, San Diego Mesa College
Lynn Schenk, attorney and former U.S. Congresswoman
Wendy Urushima-Conn, president and CEO, Asian Business Association
Cool Women event proceeds will help keep Girl Scouting available and affordable for more than 35,000 local girl and adult members.
