By Catherine Amoriello
Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania (GSHPA) is excited to recognize Kim Lemon, former senior anchor at WGAL-8, as its life skills honoree for the 2022 Women of Distinction Celebration.
Lemon joined WGAL-8 in 1979 and was the station’s most tenured employee until she retired in 2021. Her 42-year career saw her earn a dozen Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards, including Best Host, and be named to the prestigious Silver Circle Society of Emmy award-winning journalists.
Lemon’s successful career in media probably came as no surprise to her peers at Manheim Township Middle School in Lancaster County who grew up with a young Lemon delivering their school news.
“When I was in seventh grade, I read the morning announcement on closed circuit television. I was hooked and knew right then what I wanted to do!” Lemon said.
As a young girl, Lemon not only discovered her strengths in public speaking and media, but also her passion for Girl Scouts. She was first exposed to Girl Scouts as a Brownie, and it was the first time she encountered a program designed to empower and encourage young girls. Lemon has since continued her Girl Scout experience as a Lifetime Member, hoping to set an example for young girls and other women.
“It’s crucial for those of us with established careers and families to hold our lives up as proof of what is possible in life,” Lemon said of her responsibility as a Lifetime Member.
Lemon values the concept of mentorship, and said it was critical in the newsroom. Inspired by her own mentors, her late mother Shirley Lemon and her middle school teacher Joan Billet, she hopes she has been able to provide guidance to other young women throughout their career journeys.
“I think I know what it means to work hard and establish yourself, and to stay hopeful and kind. I also know what it means to lift fellow female co-workers up. There is room at the top for each of us.”
Lemon currently resides in Lancaster County. She has helped support her community by raising money for the Children’s Miracle Network, The Salvation Army, The Silent Samaritans and The Extraordinary Give. She is an active voice for families struggling through dementia, and is care partner and advocate for her husband John who was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia. They are parents to two children, Meg and Morgan.
GSHPA’s Women of Distinction Celebration will be held on Sept. 14, 2022, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Country Club of York. Visit GSHPA’s Women of Distinction registration page to purchase tickets.
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