Business Beat: Gary Furtado named President of Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America

The Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America announced Gary Furtado as the new Council President at their annual board meeting this week. The Council President serves as Chair of the Council’s Executive Board. The President leads the board in strategic decision-making, stewardship of resources, and delivery of the Scouting program to over 5,000 youth across southeastern New England. 

“I’m thrilled to be taking on this new role, after two decades of involvement with the Narragansett Council,” said Furtado. “I’ve seen the difference Scouting can make in the lives of young people, and I’m honored to play a bigger role in that.”

Gary Furtado recently retired from Navigant Credit Union, where he served for 44 years, 35 of those as President and CEO.

While Furtado briefly participated as a Cub Scout, his involvement in Scouting started in earnest as an adult while working in Central Falls and looking for ways to engage with the community. After hearing about the Scoutreach program, which seeks to break down the barriers to membership for low-income, ethnically diverse families and provides youth access to Scouting program, Furtado was hooked. 
2023 marks 20 years that Furtado has been involved with the Narragansett Council. In Central Falls, Gary started a tradition to give back to Eagle Scouts – gifting each new Eagle with an iPad and gathering them together for a special annual group lunch. Furtado saw his role at a community bank as an opportunity to mentor Scouts. 

“I first met Gary as a 15-year-old working on my personal management Merit Badge,” said Cristian Giraldo, a now 28-year-old Eagle Scout from Troop 3 Central Falls. “Later when I needed additional funding to complete my Eagle Scout project, I went to Navigant and pitched my project. Gary signed a check immediately and insisted that any leftover money go back to the Troop. After I completed the project, Gary held a ceremony for all Central Falls Eagle Scouts at the Navigant Central Falls Branch and presented us all with iPads.”

“Gary also came through for me as a college student. When I was an 18-year-old freshman at Bryant, I reached out to Navigant about a summer job. Gary set me up in the mortgage department, and over the next three years I went from intern to part-time employee and I worked full-time during the summers.” Cristian now works as an investment specialist at John Hancock Financial, and has purchased three properties, each with mortgages from Navigant Credit Union.

“We are excited to have Gary Furtado lead our Executive Board as the new Council President,” said Narragansett Council CEO Tim McCandless. “His longtime commitment to Scouting has made such a difference in the lives of Central Falls Scouts for twenty years, I can’t wait to see how he replicates that impact across the entire Narragansett Council.”

About the Narragansett Council: The Narragansett Council, Boy Scouts of America’s mission is to serve others by helping to instill values in young people and, in other ways, prepare them to make ethical choices over their lifetime in achieving their full potential. The Narragansett Council’s research-backed, youth development programs are for boys and girls ages 6 to 20 through Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts and Exploring. The council serves nearly more than 5,000 youth annually in Rhode Island, Southeastern Massachusetts, and Pawcatuck, Connecticut. People can learn about Scouting programs and find groups near them at www.BeAScout.org. For more information on the Narragansett Council, please visit www.ncbsa.org or visit us at Facebook.com/NCBSA.