Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc.

Lisa Rusyniak is the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, which serves Central Maryland and the Eastern Shore with a budget of $54 million, 31 retail locations, and nine workforce development sites. A mission-driven leader, Rusyniak is dedicated to building a stronger Baltimore through Goodwill’s workforce initiatives and wants to eliminate poverty through employment.

While many know Goodwill for its retail stores, Goodwill is much more, with a mission of preparing people to secure and retain employment and build successful independent lives. Annually, Goodwill places over 900 people into jobs and provides services to over 4,000 individuals. Traditionally, Goodwill has focused on the hardest to serve in Baltimore City by offering open enrollment for anyone to join a free Goodwill program. Additionally, case management is now offered to all participants to ensure they are supported pre-employment and after they are working.

Rusyniak has also expanded program reach to place individuals into higher-paying jobs by connecting them to middle-skilled employment opportunities. A true collaborator, she has developed relationships with organizations such as CVS Health, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and North America’s Building Trades Unions. Her ultimate goal is to open an adult high school in Baltimore City. The Excel Center will provide adults with the opportunity and support to earn a high school diploma, begin post-secondary education, or access programs that lead to career pathways in middle-skill occupations.

Rusyniak joined Goodwill in 1997 and held various leadership roles before she became President and CEO in 2012. She earned her bachelor’s of science degree from Salisbury University, a master’s of science degree from Wilmington University, and has executive certificates from Georgetown, Cornell, and Harvard Universities. Lisa serves on the board of Business Volunteers Maryland, The Governor’s Workforce Development, and the Baltimore City Workforce Development Board, and recently finished two terms on Goodwill Industries International’s Board of Directors.