Goodwill Manasota Poised for leadership Transition on July 1

June 21, 2022 – Sarasota

Goodwill Industries Manasota will complete their leadership transition on July 1, 2022. Longtime president and CEO Bob Rosinsky – who has worked in the Goodwill system for 50 years – will step down and veteran Goodwill leader Donn Githens will assume the title of President and CEO.

After a comprehensive nationwide search by a committee appointed by the organization’s Board, Goodwill Industries Manasota (GIMI) named Githens, Vice President of Operations, as the new president effective July 1, 2021. Rosinsky remained CEO to assist Githens and the Board of Directors with strategic planning, organizational development, project management, and the succession plan over the past 12 months.

Githens, who has worked in the Goodwill system since 2006 – was formerly responsible for the successful execution of GIMI’s mission integrated donated goods retail social enterprise. In recent years, he also assumed oversight of marketing and communications, real estate, facility maintenance, property management, and mission development (training) activities in support of other Goodwill groups across the country.

Githens has traveled extensively in his role of President to meet Board members, leaders and teams of Goodwill organizations nationwide to assist in enhancing the impact of their social enterprises. He has also worked to develop the local leadership team as they transition into new roles and responsibilities.

“Our leadership – board and professional – has been extremely proactive and methodical to ensure that the transition would be as seamless as possible and the organization’s forward momentum would be uninterrupted,” said Steve Boone, chair of the board of directors. “We consider ourselves very fortunate not only to have benefited from the incredible expertise, guidance and compassion of Bob Rosinsky but also to have a proven leader like Donn Githens at the ready to carry the baton for us in the coming years.”

Githens expects addressing the current challenges with readjusting the workforce, and further expanding its services to veterans – through the American Veterans and Their Families program – to be two areas at the forefront of Goodwill’s attention in the coming years.

“We hope to leverage upskilling and educational opportunities to enhance career opportunities for everyone we serve,” said Githens. 

GIMI provides an array of services, from job readiness to skills training, which includes digital skills and various certifications and credentials, and employment placement.  GIMI also facilitates connections to holistic wraparound services such as emergency financial assistance, housing, financial literacy, and transportation. Goodwill works with hundreds of community partners to increase its impact while reducing duplication in service offerings.

“One of the biggest challenges on the horizon is housing – specifically affordable housing and the infrastructure that requires – so that we have the workforce necessary to continue to serve our community,” Githens said. “We all need to find new, innovative ways to impact this tremendous barrier to the workforce.”

GIMI, whose territory includes Sarasota, Manatee, Hardee and DeSoto counties, has three Job Connection offices, three Community Resources Centers and two American Veterans and Their Families program offices. In 2021, Goodwill served 5,346 individuals, including 381 veterans, employed over 700 team members (of whom nearly 70% have self-identified disabilities or disadvantaging conditions), placed 170 in jobs throughout the region. They also diverted more than 57M pounds of waste from area landfills, provided 102,608 hours in on-the-clock education and training for its team members, and collected 212,436 pounds of food for local food banks.  

Rosinsky’s first position in the Goodwill system was with the Milwaukee Goodwill in Wisconsin. He planned to work there temporarily as a break from working on his Ph.D. in psychology, but he was quickly hooked on Goodwill’s mission. 

He has been with GIMI since 1991, and became President and CEO in 2013. Under his leadership, the organization fundraised for and developed a new corporate campus in Bradenton; worked with former CEO Don Roberts on moving to self-funded services at this Goodwill, oversaw the creation of the GoodPartner Coach program, which offers case management and mentoring for all employees; assisted in creating free Job Connection services throughout this area; and launched the American Veterans and Their Families program.

Goodwill Manasota is seen as a leader in the Goodwill Industries network for other innovations spearheaded by Rosinsky, including its Mission Development Services (MDS) program, a business-to-business service which provides intensive education, training and mentoring services to Goodwills across the country. It also offers Goodwill®U, an online curriculum subscription service, available to other Goodwills to further professional training and development. Another advancement made locally is WESA (Web Enabled Statistical Analysis), a management information system that provides insight into the social enterprise’s performance.  

“I look forward to continuing to build on the solid foundation established by the Rev. Don Roberts, Bob Rosinsky, and our Board of Directors,” said Githens. “In partnership with the Board, our leadership team will continue to look for new ways to impact mission delivery to both our team members and members of the community, including new and ongoing collaborations with community partners.” 

For more about Goodwill Manasota, visit experiencegoodwill.org.