That’s how the cookie crumbles.
Anna Maria Chavez, the new CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, faces dissension in the ranks at the venerable organization that has empowered girls for a century.
One employee — who has fired off anonymous letters to the board complaining about her — calls Chavez “Cookie Monster.”
Since Chavez took over the once tranquil national office in Manhattan in November 2011, the group has seen an exodus of long-serving executives who were fired or forced out.
Pleas have gone out to the Girl Scouts’ board of directors urging it to take action.
“We come to work to serve girls, not to play a game of corporate ‘Survivor,’ ” reads one of the letters sent by the anonymous employee to Connie Lindsey, chairwoman of the board.
The writer claimed that Chavez called employees “overpaid” at a meeting of the entire staff, and that she said regional Girl Scout councils felt the headquarters was overstaffed.
Another ex-employee told The Post, “The staff live in fear. They feel that she is very dictatorial.”
Indeed, Chavez, 44, calls herself “Eagle 1” and hands out a badge with her name and that moniker to any Girl Scout she meets.
Some employees derisively call her “Ego 1.”
Other employees said they were taken aback at a staff meeting when Chavez, who is married with a son, implied work should come before family.
“That came as a big surprise given that we’re a very family-oriented organization and we want young women and girls to aspire to be balanced leaders,” the ex-worker said.
She attributed Chavez’s management style “to a total lack of experience.”
Another letter writer, who contends older workers were targeted for dismissal, begs board members to get involved.
“You better be careful before there is a class action lawsuit against age discrimination,” the writer says.
Lindsey did not return calls for comment.
Joan Wagnon, treasurer of the board, said it was aware of the complaints about Chavez, who had “great qualifications.”
“The board is addressing it,” she said.
Chavez issued a statement saying: “I value greatly — and honor — the hard work and passion our employees bring to their jobs each and every day. I work very hard to create an environment where our staff is engaged and focused on making our movement the best leadership experience for girls there is.”
Chavez had been the CEO of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas. Before that, she worked for Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who was then governor of Arizona, as a deputy chief of staff. Prior to that, she was director of intergovernmental affairs.
Chavez, the first Hispanic leader of the Girl Scouts, took over for retiring Kathryn Cloninger, whose salary, tax filings show, was $356,911. A Girl Scouts spokesman would not divulge Chavez’s salary.
Soon after arriving, Chavez eliminated the jobs of two longtime senior VPs.
One of them, Deborah Long, who was senior vice president for governance and corporate administration, said she was let go after working under Chavez for only about five weeks.
“I don’t know the reasoning behind it at all,” she said. “It wasn’t shared with me.”
Four members of the fund-raising team were also let go just two weeks after Chavez commended them in front of the entire staff for meeting their goal, former employees say.
The Girl Scouts of the USA is a $90 million organization partially funded by $12 dues from its 3.2 million members.
Money from cookie sales go to local scout councils. The organization also received $2.6 million in public funds in the year ending Sept. 30, 2011, in the form of federal grants.