FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GII President/CEO Visits Oahu to Celebrate
Goodwill Hawaii’s 55th Anniversary
Honolulu, Hawaii (January 23, 2014) — President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International Jim Gibbons will be on Oahu to help celebrate Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s (GIH) 55th anniversary. Washington Place will host a luncheon on January 27, 2014 to help commemorate the occasion. During his visit to Hawaii, Gibbons will also tour the Goodwill Industries of Hawaii programs and locations.
As president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International, Gibbons oversees a network of independent, community-based agencies in the United States, Canada, and 14 other countries. Founded in Boston in 1902, Goodwill Industries first put people to work by hiring them to repair and sell donated goods. Goodwill now trains people for careers by selling donated goods in retail stores and use the proceeds to fund job training and other support programs. In Hawaii, Goodwill serves diverse populations with barriers to employment and places over 1,500 individuals annually into meaningful jobs in industries such as retail, construction, health care, and education.
Under Gibbons’ leadership Goodwill Industries was named one of America’s 25 Most Inspiring Companies by Forbes in both 2012 and 2013. Goodwill Industries was the only non-profit organization who made the list in both years. In 2013, Gibbons also led the organization in launching its first national multimedia PSA campaign in partnership with the Ad Council. The campaign encourages Americans to help create jobs in their communities through the simple message: “Donate Stuff. Create Jobs.”
An expert at social enterprise management, socioeconomic program strategy and leadership skills development, Gibbons is a veteran speaker, guest lecturer and information resource for educators, advocates and journalists. He has been featured in more than 100 national and regional media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Fox Business News and CNN.
Gibbons, the first blind person to graduate with a M.B.A. from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration, has received several awards and recognitions for his work, including the 2010 National Jefferson Award for Greatest Public Service Benefiting the Disadvantaged, the 2010 SmartCEO EcoCEO award for organizational commitment to the environment, the 2009 Young Presidents’ Organization Social Enterprise Leadership Award, and the 2007 Purdue Outstanding Industrial Engineer of the Year award. Gibbons recently served an appointment by President Obama as a member of the White House Council for Community Solutions (WHCCS), a two-year commitment.
Since 1959, Goodwill Industries of Hawaii has provided job placement, career development, education, training, employment and support services for people throughout the state. From July 2012 through June 2013, GIH served more than 13,000 individuals and helped place over 1,600 people into jobs. This year, Goodwill Industries of Hawaii will also be holding its 3rd annual Goodwill Goes GLAM! at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall July 17-20, 2014.
Goodwill Industries of Hawaii’s 501(c)(3) non-profit mission is to help people with employment barriers to reach their full potential and become self-sufficient. Supported by its retail operations and financial endeavors, its educational, employment and training programs have provided skills training, employment counseling, job placement and support services since 1959.
Visit goodwillhawaii.org for more information. Subscribe to the Goodwill Works! email newsletter. Reach us at 836-WORK (9675), info@higoodwill.org, @GoodwillHawaii on Twitter,@higoodwill on Instagram, TheGoodwillHunter.com blog and Goodwill Industries of Hawaii on Facebook.
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Media Contact:
Rick Kuwahara
(808) 836-0313, ext. 1054
rkuwahara@higoodwill.org