Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast on Oct. 29 honored Sylvia Weinstein, of Suffolk, editor and publisher of the Oyster Pointer, at the Girl Scout Famous Formers Luncheon.

This event is held annually to honor local women who continue to exemplify the values of Girl Scouting through their leadership roles in the community.

Weinstein, who has more than 45 years of experience in the communications field, started her career with the Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Council. She went on to start her own business, the Weinstein Agency, and in 1986, she started the Oyster Pointer, a free monthly publication about business in the Oyster Point area of Newport News.

Over the past 29 years, she has grown the newspaper from a black and white, four-page publication to a full color, 32-page tab that publishes 10,000 copies a month.

Throughout her career, Weinstein has also been committed to serving the community through various volunteer and board roles.

She is currently on the advisory board for the Joseph W. Luter III School of Business at Christopher Newport University and serves on the board of directors for SunTrust’s Peninsula Division, among other roles. Her dedication to giving back is something that she can attribute to her time as a Girl Scout, when she had the opportunity to explore community activities and learn to work with others.

Weinstein got her start in Girl Scouts when she joined a local Brownie troop in Newport News as an elementary schooler. As a Girl Scout, Weinstein developed tight bonds of friendship with her fellow troop members, many of whom she still keeps in touch with today.

“Being a Girl Scout created structure and discipline in my life and provided social interaction and cooperation among my peers,” Weinstein said.

As an adult, Weinstein has remained a friend of Girl Scouts and helps out when she has the opportunity to do so. Over the years, she has also helped to spread the mission and message of Girl Scouts through the Oyster Pointer.

In addition to the Girl Scout Famous Formers honor, Weinstein has been recognized with numerous awards over the years.

In 2014, she received the Women in Business Achievement Award from Virginia Business Magazine; in 2013, she was honored by Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities with a Humanitarian Award; and she has also been presented with the Women of Distinction Award from the YWCA Virginia Peninsula.

Five other local Girl Scout alumnae, in addition to Weinstein, were honored at this year’s Girl Scout Famous Formers Luncheon: Peggy Birkemeier, retired senior associate with the North Carolina Community Foundation; Emma Jean Brady, retired branch manager with the Blackwater Regional Library; Susan Colpitts, founder and chief of client engagement at Signature Family Wealth Advisors; Barbara Hamm Lee, executive director and host of “Another View” and managing director of SkillsOnline at WHRO Public Media; and Khadijah Sellers, senior operations analyst at Enspyr, LLC.

At the luncheon, guests heard an inspiring message from keynote speaker Nancy Rodrigues, Virginia Secretary of Administration. She talked about her own experiences as a Girl Scout and how they shaped her to be the woman and leader she is today.

For more information about Girl Scouts, visit www.gsccc.org.