Coral Springs resident Lorna Brown-Burton honored with prestigious Girl Scouts Lifetime Service Award
Coral Springs, Florida – A longtime advocate for youth leadership and community service has been recognized for more than three decades of dedication to the Girl Scout movement.
Lorna Brown-Burton, a Coral Springs resident and member of the Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency Board, was recently honored with the 2026 Lifetime Service Award from Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. The recognition celebrates her extensive volunteer contributions and leadership within the organization over a period spanning more than 30 years.
The award was presented on May 9 and acknowledges Brown-Burton’s lasting impact on Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, as well as its predecessor organization, the Broward County Council. Throughout her years of service, she has played a variety of roles, helping guide organizational initiatives, governance efforts, and long-term planning strategies.
Her connection to the Girl Scout movement began long before her professional career. Growing up in Jamaica, Brown-Burton participated in the Girl Guides program, which serves as the British Commonwealth counterpart to the Girl Scouts. That early experience would eventually grow into a lifelong commitment to supporting opportunities for young girls and future leaders.
Over the years, Brown-Burton became a familiar and respected figure within the organization. Her work extended beyond volunteer service, drawing upon her professional experience as a workers’ compensation attorney. She provided legal guidance on matters including bylaws and gift-acceptance policies while also contributing to major organizational planning efforts.
Among her notable contributions was her involvement in long-range property planning and the council’s 2008 realignment process, initiatives that helped shape the future direction of the organization.
“Lorna has strengthened and guided our council and committees for three decades,” said Lisa Johnson, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. “She’s a Lifetime Girl Scout who is kind, generous, helpful and totally dedicated to our Movement.”
Brown-Burton’s leadership responsibilities continued to expand over the years. She served on the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida Board of Directors for five years before being elected board chair. She held that position from 2013 through 2019, helping oversee council operations and strategic priorities during a significant period in the organization’s development.
Even after completing her term as chair, Brown-Burton remained actively engaged with Girl Scout programs and initiatives, continuing to support the organization’s mission and mentor future leaders.
Her record of service extends well beyond Girl Scouting. Brown-Burton currently serves on The Florida Bar Board of Governors as the representative for the 17th Judicial Circuit. Her previous leadership roles include service on The Florida Bar Board of Governors Young Lawyers Division and chairing a Florida Bar Grievance Committee for the 17th Circuit.
Locally, she continues to play an active role in civic affairs. Appointed by the Coral Springs City Commission, Brown-Burton is now serving her third term on the Coral Springs Community Redevelopment Agency Board, where she helps guide redevelopment and community improvement efforts.
The Lifetime Service Award itself represents one of the highest honors presented by Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida. Established in 2014 by the organization’s Board of Directors, the award recognizes individuals whose sustained volunteer service has made extraordinary and lasting contributions to the Girl Scout mission.
That mission continues to have a broad reach throughout the region. Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida serves more than 6,900 girls across Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties. Through leadership development programs, educational experiences, and community engagement opportunities, the organization supports girls between the ages of 5 and 17.
Read also: Coral Springs Police unveil new hurricane-proof K9 facility
For Brown-Burton, the award serves as recognition not only of years spent volunteering but also of a lifelong belief in the value of leadership, service, and empowering young people. Her journey—from a Girl Guide in Jamaica to a respected attorney, civic leader, and Girl Scout volunteer in South Florida—reflects a commitment that has touched generations of girls and helped strengthen one of the region’s most enduring youth organizations.
As Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida continues its work across six counties, Brown-Burton’s decades of service stand as an example of the impact that dedicated volunteers can have on communities and on the lives of young people for years to come.
