Local Goodwill CEO gets top national award

Tom Feurig, the president and CEO of North Fort Myers-based Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida, recently received a top honor from his organization. He was chosen for the P.J. Trevethan Award from Goodwill Industries International. Only one is given out every year, to the top CEO of all of the 200 Goodwill organizations in the United States in the area of staff professional development.
Frank McGree, president/CEO of Goodwill Industries of Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa, presented Feurig with the honor at Goodwill Industries International’s Conference of Executives in Santa Fe, N.M.
“Our winner this year has demonstrated a company-wide approach to training which has radically changed the internal culture of his organization and instituted a new philosophy of staff development,” McGree said.
Feurig said he can’t take all the credit for the distinction.
“This recognition really reflects on the organization’s accomplishments,” he said. “I’m honored to have my name associated with it, but it really belongs to the entire staff.”
He joined Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida less than six years ago, and brought with him experience from over 30 years in healthcare leadership. Since joining the organization, Feurig has implemented a number of training programs and has impressive numbers in staff retention and profitability. Turnover within the organization has reduced by more than 19 percent under his reign, and he’s also worked to grow the non-profit’s annual revenue from $11 million dollars in 2002 to $20 million in 2007.
Feurig’s success with mission-based objectives was also noted by officials. In 2002, Goodwill provided vocational and social services to 2,015 Southwest Floridians. Last year, that number grew to helping 8,160 individuals.
Innovative internal training programs were developed under his direction. One is a “succession planning” program, which identify gaps in management, then trains and develops internal candidates for those positions. He also has an effective “manager-in-training” program for store managers, implemented the “ACE” program, which rewards employees for providing an “Amazing Customer Experience,” established a 60-day action plan for employees with poor performance, conducted employee opinion surveys and hired a full-time training director.
“We created these programs here,” he said. “Through hard work, we brought them to the point where they have been implemented and ingrained in the organization.”
Feurig also supports members of his senior management team to develop professionally. Two members of the local senior staff have moved on to Goodwill Industries International’s Executive Development Program. One of those graduates, Brian Itzkowitz, recently was named chief executive officer at Goodwill Industries of Arkansas.
Feurig talked about the challenges facing the organization this year.
“There are special challenges this year,” he said. “Goodwill is not immune to the economic environment facing all of us. To make sure we are able to meet the demands of the people that are out there, we’ve had to work to strengthen our retail operations and the donations that come to those facilities.
“The future challenges for us is also expansion of our services,” he continued. “Our focus in 2009 and on is going to be a family strengthening concept versus just job placement, by focusing on the family’s needs and developing support for those needs. We expect to do this in collaboration with other agencies.”
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida helps people with disabilities and other barriers to employment discover and develop their full potential through work and career development services.
The agency serves Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties. Revenue generated from the sale of “gently-used” items at Goodwill’s 23 Southwest Florida stores is used to support job training and placement programs, 11 apartment complexes for people with disabilities and income-sensitive seniors, a transportation assistance program, a charter school for students with developmental disabilities and several other services designed to help Southwest Floridians become more independent.
The Goodwill offices are located at 4940 Bayline Drive in North Fort Myers. For information, call 995-2106.