Michael Elder Honored During Goodwill Annual Conference of Executives

Goodwill® Industries International (GII) held their Annual Conference of Executives in March 2024 in New Orleans. During the ceremony, a number of past and present executives were honored, including Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont’s Michael Elder, who was inducted into the Goodwill Hall of Fame. 

Elder served as president & CEO of the region’s nonprofit for more than 40 years, starting in 1976 – 11 years after its inception in 1965. During his tenure, the nonprofit grew from 61 employees to nearly 800 team members and expanded operations from two counties in North Carolina (Mecklenburg and Gaston) to operations in eight counties of North and South Carolina (Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Cleveland, Cabarrus, Union, York and Lancaster). From 1976 – 2017, Elder helped Goodwill expand its retail footprint from three stores to 24 stores and grow its annual operating budget from $532,000 to more than $60 million.

Elder was one of three illustrious Hall of Fame inductees honored during this year’s ceremony. His award was presented by his successor, Chris Jackson, current president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont.  

Elder was nominated by Jackson, who wrote in his nomination submission, “It is my honor to recommend J. Michael Elder for the Goodwill Hall of Fame. Michael is a friend and mentor who provided me with the amazing opportunity to join the Goodwill Family in 2010. Michael is one of those unique individuals who has dedicated his entire life to helping and advocating for others. I worked directly for Michael until his retirement in 2017, and he is one of the most outstanding people I have come to know. His focus on inclusion, equity and access to opportunity set the standard for others. This along with his outstanding leadership and willingness to share his knowledge and experience created an environment where everyone felt welcomed and had opportunities to achieve their dreams and aspirations.”    

Thanks to Elder’s contributions, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont now has more than 1,200 team members, spans 18 counties and operates retail locations in nine counties across the Charlotte region.