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Goodwill of the Great Plains Celebrates John Hantla’s Retirement and Names Briget Solomon as New CEO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Goodwill of the Great Plains Celebrates John Hantla’s Retirement and Names Briget Solomon as New CEO

Sioux City, IA – After a successful 40-year career with Goodwill, John Hantla retired from serving the organization on January 14, 2022, serving as the organization’s third-generation President and CEO.

“John Hantla has continued a family legacy of community service through Goodwill of the Great Plains.  His leadership has guided the agency through difficult times, including challenges facing all retail merchants in maintaining physical stores and the COVID pandemic.  There is no question that Goodwill of the Great Plains is in a much stronger position after his service to the agency, both financially and in terms of meeting its mission to improve the economic self-sufficiency of the people it serves through employment and education,” said Chuck Corbett, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

“I am honored to have had the opportunity to help lead the organization as we grew our footprint across our four-state region. Managing Goodwill was a joy for me, even as we navigated through challenging times. I found that if I surrounded myself with highly talented staff and allowed them to do their jobs, meaningful impacts could be accomplished throughout the communities we serve. I am blessed to have served with so many dedicated employees and a fully supportive board of directors, who gave so freely of their time. One of the people who accomplished great things is our new CEO, Briget Solomon. She will take the organization to new heights in the coming years,” said John Hantla.

Goodwill of the Great Plains Board of Directors has promoted Briget Solomon from within as the organization’s new President and CEO, effective January 1st, 2022.

“We are very pleased that Briget Solomon has been selected to assume the position of CEO of Goodwill of the Great Plains.  She has been with Goodwill for 17 years in a variety of positions, most recently by serving as Chief Mission Officer.  She is liked and respected by the staff and possesses a passion for the people we serve.  We look forward to her enthusiasm and vision to continue and expand the mission of Goodwill of the Great Plains” said Corbett.

“I am humbled to have the opportunity to lead an organization rich in history and successful at empowering individuals to find purpose through work.  Now more than ever the mission of Goodwill is relevant as we assist community members in their employment goals.   I look forward to advancing the mission of the organization and making a positive impact on the communities we serve,” said Briget Solomon.

Austin

“After high school, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Austin states. Austin is one of our E-Commerce Assistants who is dedicated to listing the best finds on shopgoodwill.com for our customers.


Austin’s self-discovery journey started 7 years ago when he started at Goodwill in the Work Adjustment Program exploring the work he was interested in. “I scanned books in E-Commerce and working in this area sparked my interest to learn more about E-Commerce. A part-time position opened after I had completed the program. I applied and was hired. A year later, I took the full-time position. Goodwill has taught me a lot about my self. Patience is one of the main things. For example, being patient in situation when it is needed in my position. Before Goodwill. I doubted myself a lot and working here I have gained confidence and my self-esteem has boosted.


Austin’s work in E-Commerce has been exceptional and we are proud of being part of his journey to discovering the work he loves. When you support Goodwill through shopping in our stores or giving donations you are giving back to your community through individuals who need to develop critical job skills to be successful in the work they are passionate about.

Beka

Giving people hope for a better future is part of our mission at Goodwill. Every day we serve individuals in our job training programs who need encouragement and a support system to show them they can achieve their hopes and dreams. Beka is an outstanding example of an individual we serve who appreciates the support system she has found at Goodwill.

“When I first came to Goodwill, I was struggling with personal issues. In the first few months of the program, I questioned my work and was nervous to talk to people. Getting back into the workforce was a challenge after being off for a couple of years. Through the support systems at Goodwill, I am proud I have been able to break through the barriers of social anxiety. Goodwill has helped me with my confidence and social skills throughout the program. Going forward, I would like to continue to learn new tasks, increase my hours, and do more volunteering in the community.”

Goodwill’s job training programs are changing lives every day by giving individuals an opportunity to gain valuable job skills necessary to be successful in today’s job market. Your support means the world to individuals, such as Beka, who are given a chance to create a better life for herself and her kids.