All community members are invited to attend the Trefoil Society Luncheon on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 11:30 a.m. at The Press Room, 730 N. Broadway. Tickets are $75 and available at TrefoilSociety.org.
The 2025 Knoxville luncheon will honor University of Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman. Each year, Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians pays tribute at Trefoil Society Luncheons to distinguished women in the region who exemplify the spirit of Girl Scouting.
Plowman was a Girl Scout in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, where she earned badges and formed a foundational interest in learning, achievement and education.
Using the skills she learned as a Girl Scout, Plowman forged a successful and globally recognized career in academia before becoming chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2019. She has been instrumental in improving key university metrics, including enrollment, first-year student retention, and the four-year graduation rate. Partnerships with industry leaders, as well as investment in research, have expanded under Plowman’s leadership.
“Chancellor Plowman is an ideal representation of Girl Scouts’ focus on lifelong commitment to ethical and servant leadership,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of Southern Appalachians (GSCSA). “From her childhood experiences as a Girl Scout in Oklahoma, she is now a leader of courage, confidence, and character, setting an example for all Girl Scouts to follow. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to honor her.”
The interesting name for the Trefoil Society Luncheon comes from the trefoil – or clover leaf-shaped – pin that Girl Scouts receive to symbolize the acceptance of ethical leadership values. Similar luncheons are held in Johnson City and Chattanooga, covering the council’s Appalachian Highlands, East Tennessee and Tennessee Valley & North Georgia regions.
SmartBank is the Gold Sponsor for the Trefoil Society Luncheon in Knoxville. Additional event sponsors include Partners Development, Graphic Creations, Spaces in the City, Home Federal Bank, Stowers Machinery, Cope Architecture, Truist, Pinnacle Financial Partners, RM Koella Moore, Elmore Stone & Caffey, Knoxville Pediatric Associates, Tamara Boyer & Taylor Boyer Redmond and Betsey Creekmore. Other companies or individuals seeking to honor Plowman with a sponsorship should email development@girlscoutcsa.org or call Alicia White Price at 865-244-4188.
Gretchen Crawley is chief communications officer for Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians.
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