Harriet Paulk Hessam

Harriet Paulk Hessam is a Senior Advisor at Lindauer, bringing years of executive, governance, and nonprofit advancement expertise relevant to a range of client contexts.

Harriet served Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) for 24 years in a range of senior leadership roles. Harriet led fundraising consulting services for 111 Girl Scout councils and built strategic philanthropy, corporate, and major gift revenue across the Movement. She oversaw the launch of the successful billion-dollar “ToGetHerThere” campaign, served as Executive Director of the landmark 100th Anniversary, and launched a planned giving program that grew by 1200 percent in just seven years. She avidly engaged in property, program, and strategic planning for programs that served millions of girls and adult volunteers around the world and advised council leaders and Boards in their own planning efforts. A highly networked and engaged professional, Harriet willingly leveraged her considerable regional and national media connections to strengthen the visibility and reach of the Girl Scouts iconic brand.

Harriet also brings a deep understanding of nonprofit chief executive and governance roles, including finance, budgeting, operations, communications, external relations, staff structures, and market expansion and development. Prior to her national role, Harriet was Chief Executive Officer of the Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia, headquartered in Atlanta. She led the council in its record-breaking fundraising campaign, built significant funding streams from leading corporations and foundations, developed innovative national partnerships, and drove substantial membership and volunteer growth, including within Northwest Georgia’s rapidly growing Hispanic population.

Her other professional roles span corporate and nonprofit arenas. She was President and General Manager of Goemar International Corporation, U.S. subsidiary of Laboratoires Goemar S.A., manufacturer of seaweed-based products for both agricultural and skincare use. She also served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Development Officer of the Atlanta Mission, which operated five program centers for homeless men, women, and children. Her fundraising consulting services for several non-profits in Atlanta included Habitat for Humanity, Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Piedmont Park Conservancy, and Southface Institute.

Harriet is a native of Alabama with deep footprints in Georgia, California, New York, and Florida. An honors graduate of Wellesley College, she earned her MBA degree, with honors, in marketing from Georgia State University. Harriet is the recipient of numerous awards, including Distinguished Alumna from Georgia State University, YWCA’s Woman of Achievement, and the Turnkett Leadership Character Award.