Updates from Ryan

While growing up, many of us had a parent, friend, or teacher ask, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I certainly did. My third-grade teacher, Miss Light, not only asked me that question, but she had strong opinions about what I should become.

It’s a logical question to ask someone in their formative years. Yet I’ll turn 55 this month, and I’m not sure I can still answer it. A better question might be, “what’s your reason for being?” Now, I realize most third graders aren’t ready for something that deep, but maybe that’s what we’re really getting at. Or put more simply: What’s your passion? Your purpose? Your cause?

During my time at Goodwill, I’ve loved hearing from many of you about why you chose to work here. For many of our employees, Goodwill is a place where you can live out a passion for helping people become the best version of themselves and we do that in many different ways. I’d put myself in that camp, too. The individual success stories I get to witness because of your effort are what motivate me every day.

Healthy organizations should ask the same questions. That’s why, over the past few months, the leadership team has been pushing ourselves to get crisp about our purpose and our niche in the community. With so much change in society, due to technology, demographics, and shifting public policies, we want to ensure Goodwill is positioned to serve our community not just today, but for the next decade and beyond. We want to keep helping people build lives of purpose and possibility. Over the next few months, you’ll hear more about this, and we’re excited to share what’s ahead.

Finally, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be opening a new Goodwill store in Westerville in the first half of the year. Stay tuned for more details.

Happy 2026 and thank you! I’m deeply grateful for what you do every day.

Ryan

Ryan Burgess
President and CEO