Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont (GISP) President & CEO Chris Jackson has been awarded the 2021 Goodwill Diversity and Inclusion Champion Award by Goodwill Industries International.
This award is given to a Goodwill Industries executive who embodies inclusive leadership, and has outstanding diversity practices and accomplishments. The award recognizes a CEO who consistently demonstrates strong leadership in inclusion and diversity.
Upon receiving this award at the 2021 Delegate Assembly on Tuesday, July 27, Chris shared, “I’m very honored and humbled to accept this recognition. Championing DEI in my organization and my community is not hard for me, and I’m going to tell you why – it’s very simple. Like so many others, I have felt the sting of racism. I’ve felt the sting of being profiled, of being judged by some of the mistakes I’ve made in my life. But more importantly, I’ve also been in environments where I felt the exact opposite. Where I wasn’t judged for those things, those decisions that I made. I felt like I was included, that my voice mattered, where I had opportunities. This is the work we all do every day. So for me, it is part of what this organization is about, it’s what our mission is about. It takes everybody in the organization to do that. And so, I’m going to accept this recognition, but I’m going to accept it on behalf of my entire team at Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. Thank you so much.”
GISP is committed to the ideals of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, which are directly linked to our shared purpose “to help people see possibilities, seize opportunities, and prosper.” We commit ourselves every day to ensuring Goodwill is a welcoming and inclusive place to shop, donate, receive services, and especially, to work.
Join the Conversation