Press Releases | Goodwill Industries of the Valleys

We let the public and local news media know about Goodwill news stories through Press Releases and more frequent Media Alerts. Our most recent Press Releases are below. To join our news media list and receive our periodic Media Alerts, please email us at marketing@goodwillvalleys.com.

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys Media Contacts

Chelsea Moran, Marketing & Public Relations Manager
Email: marketing@goodwillvalleys.com
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 1225 | Cell Phone: (540) 520.8138

Michelle Darby, Vice President, Marketing & Development
Email: marketing@goodwillvalleys.com
Office: (540) 581.0620 ext. 1107 | Cell Phone: (540) 525.5728

Media Kit

The Goodwill Industries of the Valleys Media Kit includes a history of both Goodwill Industries International and Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. It also includes a fact sheet with interesting facts about our organization and a list of media contacts.

Interested in a story about individuals with disabilities who receive services through Goodwill programs? The National Center on Disability and Journalism provides an excellent language style guide for those journalists seeking the appropriate and accurate language to use when writing or talking about people living with disabilities.

Goodwill Industries International Contacts (National Inquiries Only)

Lauren Lawson-Zilai, Senior Director, Public Relations
Charlene Sarmiento, Manager, Public Relations
For national media interviews, email Lauren Lawson-Zilai and Charlene Sarmiento at newsroom@goodwill.org.

General Goodwill Information

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is headquartered in Roanoke and serves 35 counties and 14 cities in Central, Southwest, and Southside, Virginia. Its mission is to help people and families in our community achieve a better life through work and independence.

In 2020, Goodwill served 63,078 youth, adults, and seniors who needed assistance getting back to work and gaining greater independence, placed 2,598 people into jobs in our community, and helped individuals attain 6,321 industry recognized credentials that will allow them to be more competitive in their job search and to find higher paying employment.

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys Announces Board Leadership Change

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseAugust 23, 2021 Roanoke, VA – Goodwill Industries of the Valleys Board of Directors announced new board leadership today. Effective Monday, August 23rd, Matthew Churchill, Wells Fargo, will assume the Chairman of the Board position. Matt has served on Goodwill’s® board since 2016. He is actively involved throughout the community, also serving on the Board of Directors for the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Matt is the former President of the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce. He says one reason he gives back to the community is because he enjoys living here. He wants to contribute to…

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys Announces New President & CEO

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseMarch 3, 2021 Roanoke, VA – Goodwill Industries of the Valleys announced Richmond Vincent Jr. as the incoming President & CEO following the retirement of Bruce Phipps in April. In partnership with Voltage, Goodwill’s Board of Directors began the search process in September 2020 after current President & CEO Bruce Phipps announced his retirement. Phipps has nearly 18 years of service at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and 48 years within the Goodwill enterprise. Vincent currently serves as President & CEO at Goodwill Industries of South Mississippi (GSMS) and Mississippi Goodworks and has since 2017. He is…

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys Announces Organizational Changes

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseJune 21, 2021 Roanoke, VA – Richmond Vincent, Jr., President & CEO for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, announced new departments and changes designed to create an updated organizational structure. These changes provide leaders with clear authority, accountability, and responsibility. The new model has four business segment Chiefs, each reporting directly to Vincent. “I am excited about the changes to the organizational structure at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys,” said Richmond Vincent, Jr., Goodwill’s President & CEO. “The catalyst for the organizational changes was from the feedback provided to me by the Board of Directors and individual…

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys Celebrates 90 Years

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseOctober 8, 2021 Roanoke, VA – October 10 marks the 90th anniversary of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. Founded in Roanoke on October 10, 1931, Goodwill consisted of a cabinet and shoe shop, store, mission hall, and 32 rooms for the homeless. The first superintendent was Mr. S.L. Thomas, and he oversaw the work of 20 – 30 people operating a paper plant that generated about $10,000 a year. Records, dating back to 1935, list the Roanoke program as one of 89 Goodwills nationwide and the 64th program organized. Today, Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is one…

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys Leverages a Second Solar Array to Advance its Mission

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseOctober 11, 2021 Roanoke, VA – Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is harnessing clean energy from the sun to save on their electricity bill, allowing them to put those savings directly into the work they do ensuring every individual can acquire the skills and support needed to earn a good job and advance into a sustainable career. The new rooftop solar array is located on the Goodwill Roanoke Jobs Campus building in Roanoke, Virginia. This is one of several solar projects that RER Energy Group has been honored to develop for organizations in the Goodwill movement, and…

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys President & CEO to Retire and the GoodSupport Fund Established in His Honor

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseApril 6, 2021 Roanoke, VA – Bruce Phipps, Outgoing President & CEO for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, will officially retire on April 16, 2021. Phipps has nearly 18 years of service at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and 48 years within the Goodwill enterprise. Goodwill established the GoodSupport Fund in honor of Phipps’ dedication to the mission of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. The GoodSupport Fund will offer support for those enrolled in Goodwill training and services who experience financial hardships and barriers to success. Barriers can be childcare expenses, utilities, work uniforms, program textbooks, or…

Western Virginia Youth to Benefit from YouthBuild Grant

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseJune 23, 2021 Radford & Roanoke, VA – The U.S. Department of Labor has announced the award of $89 million in grants in 31 states and Puerto Rico to help youth ages 16-24 who are neither enrolled in school nor participating in the labor market to obtain employment in construction and other in-demand industries. Administered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, YouthBuild grants support a pre-apprenticeship model to help these young people learn valuable occupational skills. Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and the New River/Mount Rogers Workforce Investment Area Consortium Board were the two…

Goodwill Industries® of the Valleys Welcomes New IT Leadership

Press ReleaseFor Immediate ReleaseOctober 20, 2021 Roanoke, Virginia – Goodwill Industries of the Valleysappointed Brenda Moore as Chief Information Officer on October 4, 2021, and Chris Conner as Vice President of Information Technology on October 18, 2021. Both Moore and Conner join Goodwill’s Executive Leadership Team and will lead the Information Technology department. Moore had been with Medical Facilities of America since 1998 and served as their Chief Information Officer. She was formerly at Deloitte and Touche as a Consulting Group Manager. In her roles, she has 20+ years of experience managing enterprise IT Operations and implementations of various Operational…