For nearly 40 years, Rodney Ginther had led Goodwill Industries of Dallas Inc. When he started, the nonprofit had eight retail stores and was placing 224 individuals with disabilities and disadvantaged conditions annually. Its assets were $2.4M. This past year, Rod’s efforts have paid off to the tune of 18 retail stores with 1,522 individuals being placed in jobs and assets of $60M with zero debt.
Monday the Goodwill board announced that Rod would be officially retiring as president and CEO at the end of the year.
Board Chair Don Berg described Rod’s leadership in four words — “Inspiration. Authenticity, Integrity. Commitment — leadership traits that have proven most effective in helping the organization achieve its performance goals year over year. The fiscally-sound foundation that he has built will live on to advance the mission well beyond his lifetime. His sacrifice to Goodwill and the movement is a selfless one, deserving of significant public recognition and applause.”
According to Rod, “I have been tremendously grateful to shepherd Goodwill through critical changes and make it a vital North Texas community organization that is lifting families out of poverty and enabling them to dream big. Retiring was a difficult decision for me, but I am happy to leave Goodwill in good hands with Tim at the helm.”
So, who is Tim? He is former Neiman Marcus executive Tim Heis, who will be taking over the presidential/CEO reins from Rod officially on Wednesday, January 1.
Once an internal and external search was undertaken to find Rod’s success, it proved to be a unanimous decision that Tim should have the job, due to “his deep experience in the sector and proven ability to navigate a changing retail landscape.”
In addition to serving as Neiman’s VP of Transformation, Tim “led growth strategy at Bath and Body Works, part of L Brands, and helped the brand achieve multiple years of industry-leading growth and profitability. Heis began his career at Deloitte Consulting in the Strategy and Operation practice, where he specialized in retail and growth strategies.”
Before launching into his career, Tim attended SMU, where he was awarded the Hunt Leadership Scholarship. He also earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Says Tim: “I look forward to working closely with the leadership team, our staff and community partners to build the impressive foundation that Rod has established during his tenure. We will remain steadfast to the mission, while we evolve to meet the growing needs of the community.”
If you want to congratulate Rod and Tim, you just might want to sign up for Goodwill’s major fundraiser — The Lunch featuring Lyle Lovett on Tuesday, October 1, at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Thanks to “contributions to the event, 46% more people have been placed into jobs.” The Lunch sponsorships are available here!
* Photo provided by Goodwill Industries of Dallas Inc.
What an amazing and inspiring 40 year career! I only wish that I could have served under Jim during my Goodwill career.
I’d also like to wish Tim the best in filling these tremendous shoes and following this legacy.