Leaders Honored at Girl Scouts Event

L-R: Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida’s 2026 Emerald Award honorees Kelly Smallridge, Amy Angelo, Ruby Rinker, Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida; Nellie King Esq. and Nicole Cummings
(Premier Photo Palm Beach)

(Press Release) Palm Beach, Florida (May 28, 2026) – Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida hosted an inspiring afternoon of celebration and philanthropy at the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach during its distinguished Emerald Awards Palm Beach luncheon, honoring five exceptional women whose leadership and service are making a lasting impact in the community.
 
Ruby Rinker, CEO of Ruby S. Rinker Company, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to Palm Beach County. A former Girl Scout, Rinker supports numerous initiatives benefiting local families, including Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Palm Beach, and has made a significant impact on the arts through the Rinker Playhouse at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

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The 2026 honorees also included Amy Angelo of Oceana Coffee, Nicole Cummings of L3Harris, Nellie King of The Law Offices of Nellie L. King, P.A., and Kelly Smallridge of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, each recognized as a role model for the next generation of female leaders.
 
The event raised more than $160,000, with proceeds supporting Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida’s mission to empower girls to lead with confidence, courage and character.
 
Amy Angelo
Angelo is a Palm Beach County entrepreneur and co-founder of Oceana Coffee, where she has grown a local roastery into a thriving regional business while creating opportunities for other small businesses. Through ventures including Culinary Studio and Florida Canning, she has helped remove barriers for food entrepreneurs and foster collaboration across the local business community. Angelo also served seven years on the Palm Beach County Board for Small Business Development/Office of Equal Business Opportunity, advocating for women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses and strengthening economic opportunity across the region.
 
Nicole Cummings
Cummings is a Florida Atlantic University graduate, rocket scientist and longtime advocate for girls in STEM, with a career defined by innovation and leadership in an underrepresented field. For more than two decades, she has inspired young girls through hands-on workshops, demonstrations and mentorship that build confidence and curiosity in science, technology, engineering and math. She also helped launch the GEMS: Girls Excelling in Math and Science program at a local science center, expanding access to STEM education for hundreds of girls across Palm Beach County.
 
Nellie King
King is a Florida attorney and civic leader whose decades-long commitment to justice and equity has impacted underserved communities across the state and nation. As founder of The Law Offices of Nellie L. King, P.A., she has handled thousands of complex criminal cases and is widely recognized for her work representing individuals with mental health-related offenses. King has served as president of both the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, while advocating for civil rights, mentoring women attorneys and advancing access to justice.
 
Kelly Smallridge
Smallridge is president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, where she has led transformative job growth and attracted major employers to the region, strengthening Palm Beach County’s position as a hub for business and innovation. As one of Florida’s longest-tenured economic development leaders, she has launched initiatives that support corporate relocation, workforce development and educational outreach, helping build a strong pipeline of future talent. Smallridge’s leadership has earned statewide and national recognition, further elevating the county’s economic profile.
 
“Each year, the Emerald Awards highlights the extraordinary women in our community who exemplify the Girl Scout principles, said Lisa Johnson, CEO of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “Their stories inspire our girls to dream bigger and carry the legacy of Girl Scouts with them through all stages of life.”
 
Over 260 guests attended the luncheon and enjoyed a silent auction, honoree recognition ceremony and a keynote address from Carrie Morgridge, co-founder of the Morgridge Family Foundation. Through the Morgridge Family Foundation, she has donated over $200 million in nonprofit initiatives. She is also an author of Every Gift Matters: How Your Passion Can Change the World, The Spirit of the Trail and Courage Money: A Guide to Becoming a Venture Philanthropist as well as an avid skier.
 
The Emerald Awards Palm Beach was chaired by Virginia Spencer, with Geri Emmett serving as honorary event chair. Event committee members were Andrea Fogarty, Jackie Halderman, Kathleen Hillman, Lynn Kirker, Heather Muir, Melissa Mulvaney, Gail O'Donnell, Lauren Sterlacci, Ofelia Utset and Marcia Wolf.
 
Ruby Sponsor of the 2026 Emerald Award Palm Beach was Publix Super Market Charities; Award Sponsors were Amazon, Florida Power & Light, and HCA Florida Healthcare; Sapphire Sponsors were Duffy’s Foundation and Fiserv; Opal Sponsors were I.T. Solutions of South Florida, Mariaca Wealth Management LLC., Mettler Randolph Massey Ferguson Carroll & Sterlacci, P.L. Attorneys at Law, and PNC Bank; Valet Sponsor was Illustrated Properties Charities, Inc.; Pearl Sponsors were Israel, Israel and Associates, Kingdom Charitable Trust, LaCroix Sparkling Water, South University, Virginia and Perry Spencer; Silent Auction Sponsor was Ofelia Utset and Tom Kodadek; Friends of Girl Scouts Sponsors were Cypress Bank and Trust, Eric and Kristy Inge, Marti LaTour, Linda Strutt Consulting, Anne Messer and TD Bank; Table Sponsors were The Law Offices of Nellie L. King, P.A., Pratt & Whitney, and Lauren Sterlacci.