He didn’t know much about Goodwill, thought he might give it 6 months. He gave 50 years
It’s almost unheard of these days to spend 50 years working for one organization.
Bob Rosinsky, 73, achieved that rare feat on Thursday, as he wrapped up a half-century career and retired as president and CEO of Goodwill Manasota.
He leaves Goodwill Manasota, serving Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee and DeSoto counties, as one of the strongest and most admired Goodwills in the United States.
“We are in the top three or four Goodwills in the country. A lot of people would tell you we’re the best,” Rosinsky said.
Other Goodwills come to the 85,000-square-foot Goodwill Manasota corporate offices and retail store at 2715 51st Ave. E., Bradenton, for training in culture, processes and services.
The Bradenton facility can host training sessions for as many as 300 people at a time.
Rosinsky started his career with Goodwill in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, working as a behavior modification specialist, while taking a break from working on his doctorate in psychology.
“I didn’t know much about Goodwill. I thought I would give it about six months,” he said of the career that would take him coast to coast and stretch into five decades.
He joined Goodwill Manasota in 1991 and became president and CEO in 2013.
How has it changed?
Although Goodwill was providing services when Rosinsky came on board in the early 1970s, it was primarily known then as a thrift store, Rosinky said.
“We really didn’t have a brand,” he said.
Goodwill may still be known as a thrift store, but it is a lot more than that.
It provides job readiness and skills training, employment placement and connections to holistic wraparound services such as emergency financial assistance, housing, financial literacy and transportation.
Goodwill works with hundreds of community partners to increase its impact.
Funding is a challenge for many nonprofits. Goodwill, established in 1902 by a Methodist minister, developed a unique model that serves it well. Most of its funding comes from donated goods.
The niche filled by Goodwill
Ask Rosinsky why he did what he did for so long, and he responds it’s the stories of those who come to Goodwill for services.
In 2021, Goodwill served 5,346 people, including 381 veterans, employed over 700, nearly 70% with self-identified disabilities or disadvantaging conditions, and placed 170 in jobs throughout the region.
Goodwill pays $2 above the minimum wage and continues to work toward providing a living wage, Rosinsky said.
Goodwill also diverted more than 57 million pounds of waste from area landfills, provided 102,608 hours in on-the-clock education and training for its team members, and collected 212,436 pounds of food for local food banks.
“We collaborate with over 100 organizations in our service area,” Rosinsky said. “We collaborate but don’t duplicate.”
“I think Goodwill is more vital now than ever when you look at what is happening in the country,” he said.
Looking ahead
Donn Githens, 49, replaces Rosinsky as president and CEO.
“I jokingly say I was born the year Bob started work with Goodwill,” Githens said.
A former regional manager for 10 Blockbuster video stores, he has worked for Goodwill for 16 years and worked with Rosinsky for nine.
“I want to continue to work he started. There is such an opportunity to provide the support to the community and provide the services to those who need the help,” Githens said.
“The impact this organization has on the community is significant. I want to continue to amplify that,” he said.
Susan Lowy, who has worked for Goodwill for 24 years, most recently as community engagement business partner, said that both Rosinky and Githens are passionate, dynamic people.
Although the baton has been passed, Goodwill will continue its work to help people in the community, she said.
For his part, Rosinsky plans to stay engaged.
“I will take some time and be retired. I enjoy scuba, fishing, boating, hiking and travel. I want to take some cooking lessons,” he said.
Rosinsky also plans to contribute to two films, one planned on Goodwill’s impact and another on Goodwill’s founder.
He also would like to devote some energy to the homeless problem.
It’s important to provide a place for the homeless to live, noting that the country spends billions on the homeless without getting them off the street.
For more information about Goodwill Manasota, visit https://www.experiencegoodwill.org/.
This story was originally published July 5, 2022 at 5:45 AM.
