Oct. 15, 2026
Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians will honor a mother-daughter duo for the first time, Ann Baker Furrow and Lee Ann Furrow Tolsma, at the 2026 Trefoil Society Luncheon, an annual fundraising event recognizing women who exemplify the spirit of Girl Scouting.
The luncheon celebrating the pair will be held Oct. 22 at 11:30 a.m. at The Press Room, located at 730 N. Broadway. Tickets are $125 and available for purchase at TrefoilSociety.org.
“Honoring Ann and Lee Ann together is especially meaningful because their story reflects the lasting impact of leadership across generations,” said Lynne Fugate, CEO of the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians (GSCSA). “Their commitment to strength, character and community demonstrates how one generation can inspire the next, which is at the heart of the Girl Scout mission.”
Ann Baker Furrow has been a trailblazer throughout her career and a pioneer at the University of Tennessee. She was the first woman appointed to the UT Board of Trustees and the youngest person ever selected to serve as a trustee. Furrow also became the first, and only, woman to compete in a UT men’s varsity sport, earning a full four-year athletic scholarship in golf. Furrow would later become instrumental in the formation of a women’s golf team at UT. To honor her lasting impact on the university and the Knoxville community, Ann Baker Furrow Boulevard was dedicated in Sorority Village along Neyland Drive.
Furrow also had a successful amateur golf career, winning five Tennessee Women’s Amateur Championships and the Southern Amateur Championship. She has been inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame, Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, Blount County Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Tennessee Athletics Hall of Fame.
Lee Ann Furrow Tolsma is president and CEO of Furrow Automotive. With more than three decades of experience in automotive operations, finance, strategic planning and business development, Tolsma has held leadership roles spanning dealership management, project development and internal operations.
She is actively engaged in civic and community leadership, serving on the Board of Visitors for Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, as an Advisory Board Member for First Horizon Bank in Knoxville, and as a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization. She also co-chaired the United Way of Greater Knoxville’s $8 million 2024-25 campaign.
The Trefoil Society luncheons are named after the trefoil-shaped pin that Girl Scouts receive to symbolize the acceptance of ethical leadership values and are held in the council’s Appalachian Highlands, East Tennessee and Tennessee Valley & North Georgia regions each year.
Girl Scout Gold Award recipient Rachel Huff will speak at the luncheon to share the impact Girl Scouts has had on her life.
Mercedes-Benz of Knoxville and Land Rover of Knoxville are the presenting sponsors for the Trefoil Society Luncheon in Knoxville. Cope Architecture is a gold sponsor for the event. Additional sponsors include McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects, SmartBank, Graphic Creations, Stowers, Elmore Stone & Caffey and Home Federal Bank.
Other companies or individuals seeking to honor the Furrows with a sponsorship should email [email protected] or call Alicia White Price at 865-244-4188. All donation checks should be sent to Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians, Attn: Development, 1567 Downtown West Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37919.
About Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians
Girl Scouts is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, offering programs that give every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of entrepreneurship, adventure and success – whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike, advocate for community causes or make their first best friends. The Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians has approximately 11,500 girl and adult members in 46 counties from southwest Virginia, through eastern Tennessee, and northern Georgia. Membership is open to all girls from kindergarten through their senior year in high school. Backed by trusted adult volunteers, mentors and millions of alums, Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. To join us, volunteer, reconnect or donate, visit girlscoutcsa.org or call 800-474-1912.
