Courtesy of Goodwill Industries
Bruce Phipps announced in September 2020 that he planned to retire in April 2021.
Long-time Goodwill Industries of the Valleys President and CEO Bruce Phipps is set to retire next month. His 47-year tenure with Goodwill has been long and varied, having worked in Ohio, Texas, Kentucky and Michigan before being tapped to lead the local organization in 2003.
“When Bruce came to Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, he had a vision for greater service to Central, Southwest and Southside Virginia,” Dan Karnes, former chair of Goodwill’s Board of Directors, says. “Our local workforce, our community, and our region are stronger because of his leadership and his commitment to the people Goodwill serves.”
After the Ohio native graduated from Ohio University with a degree in education, he took his first job at a Goodwill as a vocational evaluator in Zanesville. From there, he entered into Goodwill’s 16-month executive development program in Detroit, Michigan. The program helped him land a job as CEO of a Goodwill in Lima, Ohio at the age of 27.
“It was a pretty rapid pace of development,” he remembers fondly. “All my staff members were older than I was. It was kind of intimidating knowing that I was running the show at that point.”
He has worked at eight different Goodwill organizations throughout his 47-year career, 38 of which were spent as a CEO. Notably, he founded a new Goodwill in Abilene, Texas.
While serving as CEO of the Goodwill organization in Wooster, Ohio 18 year ago, Phipps was recruited to come to Roanoke by then-CEO Roger Matthews. The decision to accept the job, Phipps says, was largely based on the amount of potential he saw to expand the services given just how expansive of a coverage area the organization served.
A few years earlier, a merger of four non-profit organizations formed Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. “My drive was to help expand and develop Goodwill across the 35 counties and 14 independent cities that we now serve,” he says.
The Roanoke-based organization is one of three Goodwills in Virginia, the others being located in Fredericksburg and Richmond. Three other Goodwills that are located in other states service other parts of Virginia.
Courtesy of Goodwill Industries
Phipps is pictured picking berries from the region's first Food Forest at the Growing Goodwill Community Garden.
In his opinion, the mission of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys is to “help members of our communities and families achieve a better life through work and independence.” He explains that the organization does so by providing individuals with an array of programs that help them obtain the skill sets they need to become employed.
“We want people to gain long-term independence so they don’t have to count on government support. The goal is to help them take care of themselves and their families,” he adds.
Since assuming control of the organization, it has increased the number of individuals served from 1,200 to more than 40,000 annually, increased the number of individuals placed in jobs from 200 to nearly 3,000 annually, expanded retail operations from 13 to 40 stores, hired an additional 500 employees and increased annual revenue from $19.8 million to $56 million.
“One of the big accomplishments of this organization has been the jobs campus on Melrose,” Phipps says. “While we serve the 35-county region, we’re located right here in Roanoke. The opportunities that we’ve created here have impacted the neighborhood. The community impact that we’ve had hasn’t been overnight. It’s been an aggressive effort to build upon what we had already done.”
Other areas of expansion for the organization under his leadership have included skills training, including the areas of healthcare, information technology and manufacturing.
“Bruce has left an exceptional legacy of service and leadership on the Goodwill movement,” Karnes adds. “In the last years of his career, to navigate the COVID-19 crisis with such a steady hand is a testament to his career and the strength of his leadership. Bruce and the entire board of directors are committed to a smooth leadership transition that will enable Goodwill to continue to provide hope for those in need of support for years to come.”
Courtesy of Goodwill Industries
Phipps, right, is pictured at a breakfast event in 2019.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges Phipps has had to face over his 18 years leading the organization has been navigating the pandemic over the past year, which caused wide-spread temporary closures. The organization quickly shifted to offering online services for training and job searches.
“We’ve moved much more aggressively into the e-commerce direction,” he says, adding that the online store will likely be the organization’s largest store in terms of sales volume this year.
Looking forward, Phipps anticipates that the organization will continue to expand following his retirement. Currently, an assessment is underway to figure out how Goodwill can best serve communities outside of the Roanoke Valley.
“While we’ve been fairly strong in the Roanoke market, we still have many areas that could use expanded services from Goodwill, like Lynchburg, Danville, the New River Valley and the Staunton, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville area,” he explains.
He adds that a $10 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will ensure the organization’s continued success going forward.
“When I look at this immediate area, I think we can continue to grow and expand. We hope this can become a new business corridor. It’s going to take time to do that, but I think we’re on the right track. We’re making strides,” he adds.
Reflecting on the past 18 years, Phipps says his favorite part of the job has been the ability to connect with so many different people. “The board members, volunteers, staff and community members have such an appreciation for the work Goodwill is doing,” he says. “The community has been very generous.”
Plans for Phipps’ retirement were announced last September. His replacement, Richmond Vincent, Jr., was announced earlier this month. He currently serves as president and CEO of Goowill Industries of South Mississippi and Mississippi Goodworks.
“I am thrilled about my new role at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and serving the communities in Central, Southwest, and Southside Virginia,” Vincent says. “I am eager to build on the success of a strong organization and honored to lead future successes which will be possible with the MacKenzie Scott gift, loyal donors and shoppers, collaborating with community and business partners and dedicated Goodwill employees.”
About the Author:
Aila Boyd is an educator and journalist who resides in Roanoke. She holds an MFA in Writing from Lindenwood University.