FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
SVP of Career Services at Goodwill® Industries of the Southern Piedmont to Retire After Nearly 30 Years
Paulette Griffin’s leadership has helped serve more than 185,000 local job seekers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 15, 2017) – Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont announced today that Paulette Griffin, Senior Vice President of Career Services, will retire effective March 31, 2017, after nearly 30 years of service with the organization. Griffin began her career with Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont in May 1987. Since that time, she and her team have served more than 185,000 individuals with barriers to employment – such as lack of skills, experience or education, and those with criminal backgrounds.
During an exemplary nearly 30-year tenure, Griffin has helped develop and oversee the employment and training services for the nonprofit, which serves individuals in an 18-county territory of the Southern Piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina. Additionally, Griffin was a significant contributor to the development of a new service delivery model that focuses on long-term support and family sustaining employment for the individuals that Goodwill serves.
Griffin also leads several significant partnerships for Goodwill – including a service contract with the Department of Social Services – and a basic needs department, which connects clients in crisis to immediate resources and community agencies specializing in housing, utility assistance, transportation and more. Other Goodwill agencies and workforce organizations across the country often seek the input of Griffin and her team members to share new concepts and service approaches.
“We are incredibly grateful for Paulette Griffin’s dedicated service and commitment to the mission of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont over the past 30 years,” said Michael Elder, president & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont. “Her innovative work and leadership has helped thousands of job seekers in our region find stable footing and long-term employment to support themselves and their families.”
In June 2015, Griffin was awarded one of Goodwill Industries International’s highest honors – the Edgar J. Helms Award for Staff. She was chosen from among 163 Goodwill agencies in the United States and Canada for her commitment to Goodwill’s mission, and for exemplifying the values of its founder in providing assistance and service to people with disabilities or other disadvantaging conditions.
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About Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont
Goodwill has been serving individuals and families in the Southern Piedmont region of North Carolina and South Carolina for more than 50 years. Goodwill operates 24 retail stores and has more than 30 donation sites in the region. Proceeds from the sale of donated goods fund job training and employment services for individuals facing barriers to employment such as lack of skills, experience or education, and those with criminal backgrounds. In 2015, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont provided employment services to 12,000 individuals and placed 1,500 job seekers in local jobs throughout the region thanks to donations and purchases from the community. For more information, visit www.goodwillsp.org.
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Media Contact
Molly Thompson | PR & Social Media Manager | Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont | Phone: (704) 332-0262 | Email: molly.thompson@goodwillsp.org
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