As we continue to feature the achievements, stories, and personalities of some of Goodwill’s finest employees, we wanted to highlight John Wessel, a leader working at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and United States Courthouse, a Goodwill AbilityOne contract site. 

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is an annual awareness campaign led by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Created in 1988, NDEAM is celebrated throughout the month of October to recognize people throughout our nation who are living and working with disabilities. 

Recent graduate Brielle Miles took new steps to grow her career this summer through Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana’s internship program. Brielle worked as an Employee and Development Training Department (EDAT) intern under her supervisor Justin DeGuzman, with Goodwill’s Commercial Services division. 

Rocky Nolen is a Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana employee who currently works as part of the janitorial team at the Army Reserves on 96th street in Indianapolis. As a member of the Indiana Army Reserves from 1978-1986, this role is perfect for him. Rocky has overcome several obstacles since the start of his journey with Goodwill, including drug addiction, experiencing homelessness and hospitalization due to a coma. Today though, Rocky is able to support a healthy, beautiful family thanks to his drive to overcome life’s challenges and a training program he learned about in 2005. 

June 19, or “Juneteenth” as it’s commonly known, commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Black residents in Texas learned from Union soldiers that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years before. 

When Teresa Smith joined Goodwill Commercial Services in 2009, she was re-entering society and the workforce after a period of incarceration. Her history with the criminal justice system made it difficult to secure a job, but she approached the opportunity at Goodwill with a focus on improving her professional skills and rebuilding her life. 

In honor of Women’s History Month, we sat down with a few of the women leaders in Goodwill’s Commercial Services division who positively impact their teams and Goodwill’s mission each and every day. To celebrate this month of recognition and the impact of powerful women throughout history, we asked them to share who they admire and what Women’s History Month means to them.  

When you write an article about Riana Dozier, your hope is that you can accurately convey at least a small portion of the passion, positivity, and energy she exudes during the interview. (Somehow she makes algebra sound fun!) It almost feels like an injustice to only get to experience her personality through printed words.

Goodwill’s Commercial Services division provides contract manufacturing, packaging and assembly services as well as full-service commercial landscaping and janitorial services. As part of our commitment to our customers, we’re always striving to meet the highest standards, which is why we’re proud to announce the newest addition to our toolkit: the Cleaning Industry Management Standard (CIMS) and CIMS-Green Building (GB) certification from ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association.

When Hotel Tango contracted with Goodwill Commercial Services to label their signature bottles, and later to bottle hand sanitizer, it was the start of a great partnership. Because of the special shape of the bottles, it was difficult to get the labels in the correct position every time — until Willie Burroughs got involved.