She is the recipient of the ATHENA Award for assisting women in reaching their full leadership potential while demonstrating excellence, creativity, and initiative in her profession. Her commitment to women and youth in the community is evident in her volunteer work.

Joanne has been an adult Scout Leader in the Boy Scouts of American 1979 - present and currently serves as a Council Vice-President and Cubmaster of her Church Pack. In 2010 she was the Wood badge Course Director for the record breaking Northeast Illinois Council course. She is on the Camp Inspection team which monitors Boy Scout camps in the Central Region and a member of the LDS Relations Committee. Joanne has held several Scouting positions including: Den Leader (1980 - 1982, 1982 - 1985), Cub Scout Trainer (1982 - 1992, 2001 - present), Director of Cub Scout Day Camp for Northeast Illinois Council (1986), Chairman Cub Scout PowWow (1985), National Cub Scout Committee (1983-1987), developed the national Cub Scout Sports Programs (1983-1985); Unit Commissioner (2000 - 2007); Council Executive Board (2005 - present). Both off her sons are Eagle Scouts. Joanne Osmond has been, and still remains a driving force behind the success of the local Boy Scouts of America program. Because of her leadership and commitment to excellence, she has guided our program to membership growth two years in a row, resulting in over 17,000 youth in our Scouting program that reaches both boys and girls ages 7 - 21.

What sets her apart from over 4,100 other registered adult volunteers in our program, is her leadership by example and her ability to serve as an outstanding role model to other women, youth, and adult volunteers throughout our diverse Scouting demographics in Lake and Cook Counties in Chicago. Whether it's working with the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, career education for high school-aged youth, or our non-traditional scout reach programs for special needs youth or at-risk areas, Joanne has a way of touching everyone's lives and giving them a vision of how Scouting can build character and ethical decision-making skills in everyone. She has also been instrumental in assisting our volunteers and staff in creating very unique programs to reach new markets, such as in-school programs for underprivileged youth, and the Hispanic population through a Soccer and Scouting program. In 2006 Joanne wrote two training manuals for LDS Scout Leaders - "LDS Position Specific Cub Scout Training" and "LDS Position Specific EYOS Training". In 2010 with the Council Training Chairman, Felicia Brandt, Joanne created online Cub Scout Training for LDS Scout Leaders. In 2005 Joanne Osmond was asked to serve as the NEIC Vice President for Cub Scouting. The Council Board reorganized in 2009 and the position was eliminated, she was then asked to serve as the Vice President for Membership. Joanne has continued to serve Scouting in the Northeast Illinois Council as Course Director for Wood Badge Course C-03-10. I have had the honor to serve with Joanne on many Wood Badge Courses and she represents the highest qualities for Scouting. Joanne is the recipient of the Boy Scout’s coveted Silver Beaver Award.

 She has served on the Lake Villa Elementary School Board for 20 years, elected to serve her eighteenth year on Lake’s Division of the IASB as the Director representing all Lake County School Districts on the state association board. Joanne has been her local Board representative to SEDOL’s (Special Education District of Lake County) Governing Board since 2005 and a member of SEDOL Executive Committee since 2007. She serves on several committees including Finance, Building (approved funding for new facility for profoundly handicapped), Technology, and Negotiations. She is a frequent presenter at the IASB annual conference in Chicago and has presented at the National Association of School Boards Conference. She also serves the community through her volunteer work with Lake Villa Township by assisting in the Annual Job Fair, Lake Villa Historical Society, Civil War Encampment, and Arts Festival.

Since 2002 Joanne has volunteered at the Illinois SBDC (Small Business Development Center at College of Lake County). She is on the Advisory Board, is an advisor, facilitator, organizer of entrepreneur events, designs courses, and represents SBDC and College at Lake County events. She is currently developing online training to compensate for the decrease enrollment in classroom training. She is a major contributor to Small Business Success in Lake County an annual forum for small business owners as a presenter, organizer, and web designer. She is a founding member of Lake County ATHENA PowerLink Governing Board which selects women business owners who are mentored as they grow their businesses to the next level.

Joanne is active in her local Chamber of Commerce as well, supporting the Women in Business sub-committees and is the Chairman of the Education Sub-committee responsible for planning programs and writing article for their newsletter. In her Church she has served many roles over the years including the president of the Women's Organization and the children's programs. From 2000 – 2004 she served as the Stake Primary President (responsible for youth programs in twelve Churches in Lake and McHenry County), 2004 – 2008 she was the Stake Public Affairs Director for Chicago Area Council responsible for Church communications / events. Currently she serves as a Cubmaster and member of the Troop Committee.

Other projects / events Joanne worked on over the past ten years included: A Safe Place Capital Campaign 2001 – 2003, WEDO (Women Economic Development Opportunity) Annual Event 2004 - 2008, YWCA (2001 - 2003), and Lake County Senior Expo 2009 (Panel / Presenter).

She is a public speaker and writer. Since 1999 Joanne has spoken at Conferences in Florida, Texas, Illinois, California, Wisconsin, and London.

“As a role model to women and anyone who wants to make a difference in their respective communities, Joanne Osmond creates a positive impact through the sum of her principles and the actions she takes.  A key principle for Joanne, in regards to education, has been to foster the dichotomy of on one hand learning being the responsibility of the student to take the most out of any situation and on the other hand the duty of institutions and programs to educate.  As a leader of action, Joanne has never asked anyone to go a mile that she hasn't been willing to do herself. 

As a selfless and tireless promoter of improvements, Joanne has consistently made a personal impact by building people up emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually so that they can be encouraged and in turn motivate others. 

Joanne has taken the old Boy Scout concept of “leave the earth better than we found it” and applied it to all aspects of her life.  Whatever Joanne’s involvement in a specific program, leadership position, board, or executive committee; her talent has been to make sure that it’s run better, more productive, more insightful, and more conscientious after she has left.  There are good leaders but few such as Joanne, who have left such a trail of total instruction.” 

Glen Osmond, III, Son of Joanne and Bud Osmond.