Lisa Rusyniak

Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc.

Lisa Rusyniak, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc., has big dreams when it comes to serving some of the neediest people in the community. However, fulfilling the dreams of people wanting to become more independent despite obstacles such as an impoverished upbringing or criminal history isn’t a particularly easy job.

This was especially the case in 2015, when a retail downturn badly hurt in-store sales profits, which are used to fund Goodwill’s employment programs. Still, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake overcame adversity, placing 3,400 people into jobs in 2015, a record for the chapter.

Local Goodwill stores hold a special place with Rusyniak, who joined the organization in the late 1990s and became CEO in 2012. They not only generate revenue to run other programs, they often provide work experience to those who facing an uphill battle in entering the workforce.

The success stories of those who move beyond Goodwill into the greater workforce read like dreams that came true. Rusyniak, now a two-time Influential Marylander, has one big dream of her own.

Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake is working to garner support from legislators and philanthropic foundations to launch an adult high school, using a successful template from Goodwill of Central Indiana.

“Literacy is the biggest problem many need to overcome,” she said. “You need those skills to succeed in an increasingly tech-dependent world. Getting people educated helps get them out of poverty and break the cycle. That’s my dream.”