Goodwill Names New President & CEO

Canton, OH – May 26, 2017 – The Goodwill Board of Directors announced today that Anne Richards has been named as the new President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio.

“I am both honored and humbled to be named the leader of this great organization,” said Richards. “Our employees, along with our board and community partners, are impacting lives every day. We help individuals overcome barriers to employment. We teach parenting skills to people who have lost temporary custody of their children. We respond in the middle of the night to survivors of sexual assault. The list goes on. Your Goodwill does this and so much more. And, we couldn’t do it without the generous support of our donors and shoppers who support our stores and, in turn, help fund these valuable programs. I’m inspired as we look towards our future and continue to build on the foundation Ken Weber left us; expanding our reach and impact in this community.”

The President and CEO position was vacated in December 2016 when longtime Goodwill President and CEO Ken Weber unexpectedly passed away. Since that time, Richards has served as both the Vice President of Human Resources and Interim President and CEO.

“Ken Weber was a visionary leader for both Goodwill and our community. His passing was a tremendous loss, but he was an inspiring teacher and left a legacy and strong foundation for us in which to build,” added Richards.

A special search committee was formed by the Board of Directors earlier this year and conducted a comprehensive national search. It was by the recommendation of this search committee and the unanimous vote of the Board that Richards was named to this position.

“As Vice President of Human Resources since 2012, Anne has helped lead Goodwill through a number of milestone moments, including expansions of both the retail and mission programs,” explained William Bryan, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain and Information Technology at TimkenSteel and Goodwill Board Chairperson. “Anne has served as an integral part of the Goodwill team and is a proven leader with experience and passion for our mission. We are grateful to have her lead this organization and pleased to have such a strong staff that complements her skill sets. Together, I’m confident that we will continue to carry out our mission to improve the quality of life and employment opportunities for all people.”

Before joining Goodwill, Richards, a Massillon-native, held operations and human resources leadership positions with The Timken Company and Detroit Diesel. She is a graduate of Kent State University and Walsh University and will graduate from Goodwill International’s Executive Development Program next month. She is an active community volunteer, serving on several boards and committees throughout Northeast Ohio.

Richards will immediately begin in the role of President and CEO, and a search will be conducted at once to appoint a new Vice President of Human Resources.