The Girl Scouts of Central Texas honored its five 2013 Women of Distinction on April 24 to recognize female community members for their achievements and service as role models to others.

This year's list of honorees includes:

Sylvia Acevedo, founder and CEO of CommuniCard pocket-guides. She is a rocket scientist who is also a board member for the nonprofit E3 Alliance. She was named one of the Top 100 American Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math by the U.S. News and World Report, and in 2011, she was appointed to the White House Commission for Education Excellence for Hispanics.

Meredith Cooper, founder of nonprofit Wonders & Worries that helps children and families with serious ill parents. She was one of the first professionals in Austin to become certified in the emerging field of Child Life Support and developed a family-centered approach to serving children hospitalized with chronic or long-term illnesses.

Melinda Garvey, founder of Austin Woman Magazine and co-founder of ATX Man magazine. She is a past president for Wonders & Worries.

Rhoda Mae Kerr, Austin's fire chief and the first female fire chief in both Austin and Little Rock, Ark. She is also a fourth-generation firefighter and is involved in the local chapter of the American Red Cross and Austin Area Urban League.

M.P. Mueller, the founder of marketing and public relations agency Door Number 3. She has also worked with several nonprofits, including Austin Breast Cancer Resource Center, I Live Here I Give Here, People's Community Clinic and the Humane Society.

Amelia Bullock Realtors, which was founded by Amelia Bullock and Barbara Wallace, was also recognized as the Distinguished Workplace for Women and for being a leader in Austin's residential market.

During the luncheon to honor the women, attendees heard from 16-year-old Mandy Justiz, a 2013 Girl Scout National Young Woman of Distinction. Mandy's Gold Award project, which is required to receive the Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest scouting achievement for girls—involved creating an aquarium with a three-day curriculum for fifth-grade students. She said Girl Scouts has changed her life.

"Girl Scouts continues to motivate me and inspire me to become more confident in my steps moving forward," she said.

Judy Loredo, a former Woman of Distinction, spoke about how the Girl Scouts has managed to step across all barriers of ethnicity and socioeconomic backgrounds to involve any girl. She said the Girl Scouts of today are the future and that women are leaders.

"Women have to invest in women," she said.

One of last year's Women of Distinction, Lisa Copeland, the general manager of Fiat of Austin, recently told Community Impact Newspaper of her interest in creating a way for women to mentor younger women and girls. Copeland said the Girl Scouts of Central Texas are interested in starting that conversation.