Change begins with the belief that a better future is possible. For girls, the right support can build confidence and turn aspirations into achievements. When girls receive the tools and opportunities they need to succeed, they gain the ability to shape their own futures and make a positive impact on the world around them. Cheryl Lynne Jones’s commitment to empowering girls stems from a powerful lesson her mother taught her: every girl deserves the opportunity to succeed. As President and CEO of Girls Incorporated of St. Louis, she puts this belief into practice by creating opportunities that help girls develop their skills, build confidence and realize their potential.

Under her leadership, the organization serves more than 9,000 girls between the ages of 5 and 18 each year. She firmly believes that every girl deserves encouragement and the opportunities to recognize her worth and achieve her aspirations. Through her leadership, she strives to empower girls to think big, overcome obstacles, and shape their own futures by developing their skills and pursuing their goals.

Building Bright Futures

Cheryl joined Girls Inc. because she believed in its structured, evidence-based approach to helping girls develop inner strength and practical skills.

Her motivation remains strong. She believes girls thrive when adults recognize their potential, support their growth and encourage them to take on challenges. This growth becomes visible in how girls express themselves, stand up for their needs and envision a future they once thought was beyond their reach.

The valuable contributions of the board, staff and community partners reflect their shared commitment to the organization’s mission. “Together, we’re not just serving girls; we’re helping shape leaders,” she says.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Girls today face four major challenges. Many struggle with identity and confidence because of self-doubt, social comparison and the desire to fit in. Others have limited access to enrichment programs, mentorship, STEM education, business exposure and safe, supportive learning environments. Safety concerns and inequality create additional barriers to their growth and development. Many girls also lack essential skills such as goal-setting, leadership and communication, which can affect their readiness for the workforce.

Girls Inc. addresses these challenges through its three core pillars: Strong, Smart and Bold. The Strong pillar focuses on building resilience, confidence, healthy relationships and emotional strength. The Smart pillar encourages learning, interest in STEM, critical thinking and academic growth. The Bold pillar develops leadership, self-advocacy, decision-making and the confidence to pursue goals.

As Cheryl explains, this approach helps girls build inner strength, develop practical skills and make confident decisions. It empowers them to take control of their lives and shape their own futures.

Leading with Purpose

Before leading Girls Inc., Cheryl served as President of Jones & Associates for 17 years. During this time, she gained three valuable leadership lessons that continue to guide her work.

First, organizational culture matters. Cheryl believes culture is defined by what employees experience every day, not simply by what leaders say. She focuses on creating an environment where people feel valued, understand priorities and have the freedom to perform effectively.

Second, change requires empathy and clear communication. Whether an organization is undergoing transformation or expanding its programs, she believes leaders must communicate clearly and provide thoughtful support to their teams.

Third, diversity, equity and inclusion must be reflected in everyday practices. Her consulting experience taught her how to develop systems that represent the people an organization serves. These efforts include recruitment, professional development, program design and performance measurement.

At Girls Inc., she combines strategic thinking with a strong commitment to people. She ensures that every decision supports the organization’s mission and delivers meaningful outcomes for girls.

Lessons Across Industries

Throughout her career, Cheryl worked with a diverse range of organizations, including Frito-Lay, Citigroup, Sara Lee, Edward Jones, AT&T, Anheuser-Busch, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and NASA. These experiences taught her that people share common needs, even in different professional environments. Teams achieve better results when they work together, receive support and take responsibility for their performance. She also learned that strong systems are essential for achieving organizational goals, whether in corporate operations or nonprofit programs.

Although these industries differed, they reinforced the importance of people, performance and purpose. NASA’s forward-thinking approach and the healthcare sector’s focus on outcomes taught her that innovation requires curiosity, continuous improvement and a willingness to adapt.

She also learned that a clear mission builds trust. People work more effectively when they understand their goals and the reasons behind them. These lessons continue to guide her leadership at Girls Inc. She combines compassion, strategic thinking and disciplined execution to advance the organization’s mission.

A Culture of Excellence

Girls Incorporated of St. Louis was named the number one Girls Inc. affiliate in 2015 and received the same recognition again in 2020. Cheryl attributes these achievements to four key factors. The team delivered high-quality programs consistently. It built community trust through active listening and strong partnerships. It invested in staff development and leadership. It also measured success through meaningful results rather than activities alone.

The first recognition established a benchmark for excellence. It also reinforced the importance of achieving measurable outcomes for girls. The second recognition in 2020 confirmed the team’s continued commitment to its mission and the quality of its work.

In 2026, the organization received another honor by earning a place among the Top Places to Work in St. Louis. Jones views this recognition as evidence of the team’s ongoing commitment to improvement and excellence.  “Excellence isn’t a finish line; it’s a habit,” she says.

Governance with Impact

Cheryl has extended her leadership beyond her executive roles through board service with Reliance Bank, The Wilson School, the YMCA, COCA, Citizens for Missouri Children, NCCJ and the YWCA.

Those seats changed how she thinks about responsibility. She sees governance as stewardship: a board shapes direction, manages risk and protects an organization’s integrity. She believes communities grow from relationships and responsiveness, not assumptions.

She holds that accountability must include culture, meaning how an organization treats people, ensures inclusion and upholds its values under pressure. And she insists that impact needs both numbers and stories. Metrics matter, she says, but the human outcomes behind them keep her grounded. Board service, she says, demands wisdom in strategy and humility about community needs.

Principles That Inspire Change

Cheryl follows five key principles to lead change effectively. First, she explains the purpose behind every change. She believes people accept change more readily when they understand why it matters.

Second, she sets clear priorities and empowers teams to implement them. This approach reduces confusion and encourages people to take ownership of their work.

Third, she maintains consistency in her actions and decisions. She believes consistent behavior helps build a strong organizational culture.

Fourth, she promotes psychological safety. She encourages team members to share ideas, ask questions and learn from mistakes without fear.

Finally, she recognizes progress and celebrates achievements. This helps teams understand the value of their contributions and maintain momentum. As she explains, “That’s how I build trust while still driving forward.”

A Culture of Continuous Learning

Cheryl has completed leadership development programs at Howard University, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, the American Express Aspen Institute Fellowship and Washington University’s nonprofit leadership program. She has also recently completed a program at Harvard.

These experiences strengthened three key commitments. The first is to think strategically while upholding ethical values. The second is to learn from others with curiosity and an open mind. The third is to lead with reflection and clear intent.

She believes leadership requires continuous learning and practice. “Leadership isn’t something you finish; it’s something you continuously practice,” she says. She leads by example and encourages her teams to keep learning, improving and striving for excellence.

Empowering Future Leaders

Working with the girls has provided valuable insights into the importance of confidence. Confidence is not merely an innate quality. It can be developed through consistent encouragement, meaningful support and positive experiences.

Cheryl has seen girls begin their journey with self-doubt and gradually gain confidence. Through supportive relationships and meaningful challenges, they learn to express their opinions, take on leadership roles, stand up for their ideas and envision a promising future.

“The lasting impact for me is watching a girl go from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I’m ready,’” she says. She believes this transformation can make a lasting difference in a girl’s life.

The courage, creativity and willingness to learn demonstrated by these girls continue to inspire others. Their experiences reinforce the importance of effective leadership and highlight the value of helping individuals recognize and realize their potential.

A Vision for Lasting Change

Cheryl offers four key pieces of advice to young women leaders. First, build a strong support system and seek mentors and sponsors who provide guidance, encouragement and constructive challenges. Second, choose growth over comfort and accept opportunities that help you develop, even when you feel uncertain. Third, lead with strong values to guide difficult decisions and support long-term goals. Finally, continue learning and focus on progress rather than perfection.

Her vision for Girls Incorporated of St. Louis reflects these principles. She aims to expand access to more girls, especially those who face significant barriers. She also wants to improve outcomes through stronger programs and a continued commitment to excellence. Another priority is to advance equality in education, opportunities, safety and leadership development. She wants every girl to leave the organization with the confidence and skills to become a leader in her school, workplace and community. The goal is to help every girl become strong, smart and bold.

“Equality isn’t only a goal. It’s a practice. And Girls Inc. is one of the places where that practice becomes real for girls,” she says.

Her leadership is grounded in the values her family taught her. These include integrity, excellence, respect, responsibility, compassion and honesty. She expresses her gratitude to her mother, saying, “Thank you, Mom, for creating a Strong, Smart and Bold woman.” She dedicates her achievements and future endeavors to her mother, whose guidance continues to inspire her.