Contact:
Fred Whiting
Points of Light Foundation
(202) 729-8177
fwhiting@pointsoflight.org
Points of Light Foundation President & CEO Announces Retirement
Robert Goodwin Leaving for Private Sector
WASHINGTON, D.C. (October 4, 2006)—Robert K. Goodwin, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network, announced today that he will retire from his position in 2007 to pursue opportunities in the private sector. He will work with the Foundation’s Board of Directors to find a successor and ensure an orderly transition.
"Bob Goodwin took what was an idea – and then a dream – and turned it into a reality,” said former President George H.W. Bush, who used the phrase “a thousand points of light” in his first inaugural address in January 1989 to describe the American spirit of volunteering. “Through his work with the Points of Light Foundation, he inspired millions of Americans to become a volunteer and to make a real difference in their communities and their country. I will forever be grateful to him for his inspired and creative leadership of the Points of Light Foundation."
Goodwin, 57, joined the Foundation in March 1992 as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer and managed every aspect of the organization’s mission and operations. He assumed the role of President and CEO in the summer of 1995.
“I am deeply appreciative, first of former President Bush for his vision and leadership that birthed and nurtured the Foundation,” Goodwin said, “and also of the opportunity to work with dedicated staff, board, volunteers and constituents over the years to help establish and grow a dynamic organization. The Foundation has been at the forefront of the growing campaign to unleash civic power to ameliorate serious social problems through selfless acts of service.”
Under Goodwin’s leadership, the Foundation has helped raise the national awareness of volunteerism and mobilize millions of volunteers by providing significant advocacy, training and recognition programs, as well as infrastructure support. Goodwin also shepherded the affiliation agreement between the Foundation and the more than 340 organizations of the Volunteer Center National Network, solidifying their union to afford nationwide access to volunteer opportunities. In 2006, The NonProfit Times selected him for the ninth year in a row as one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector.
Goodwin helped create more than $30 million in new funding for the nonprofit sector through MissionFish, a service of the Points of Light Foundation, and its work with eBay. The Foundation also significantly elevated the level of the nation’s workplace volunteering – today more than 90 % of Fortune 500 companies have volunteer programs – by providing organizations with formal guidelines and technical assistance for establishing volunteer programs that contribute to healthier communities. In addition, Goodwin forged Foundation partnerships with such companies as The Walt Disney Company, Shell Oil Company, UPS, KPMG, IBM, The Washington Times, Target and Clear Channel.
Through Goodwin’s efforts, the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network is emerging as one of the key agencies in the management of unaffiliated volunteers, especially for disaster preparedness and relief. Goodwin also spearheaded innovations to serve nonprofit volunteer managers including 1-800-Volunteer.org, which matches potential volunteers to quality opportunities for service, and HelpinDisaster.org, which is the first national database of skilled volunteers to meet critical needs in times of disaster.
Goodwin was instrumental in the development of the 1997 Presidents' Summit for America's Future, which assembled leaders to address the quality of life for the nation's youth and resulted in the creation of America’s Promise. He also formed Connect America, a collaborative effort of the Foundation and a diverse group of nonprofits, businesses and government agencies to engage Americans in helping to address community needs through volunteering.
Under Goodwin’s influence, the Foundation helped integrate the work of the nation's faith groups into the volunteer sector and joined them in supporting communities, especially around disaster relief. He also steered the 2006 re-creation of the Sister Sledge song, “We Are Family,” as an inspirational call to action for Americans to volunteer and help those who continue to be in need in the wake of hurricanes. Goodwin is the author, along with the “Painter of Light,” Thomas Kinkade, of the recent book, The Points of Light, A Celebration of the American Spirit of Giving.
With Goodwin’s stewardship, the Foundation established The Extra Mile, the Points of Light Volunteer Pathway, the only permanent, national monument dedicated to the spirit of service in America. The Foundation also created programs to recognize exemplary volunteer service, including the awarding of 2,280 Daily Points of Light and managing a range of awards for the White House and major corporations. In addition, the Foundation convenes the largest event for sharing knowledge on volunteering and service, the annual National Conference on Volunteering and Service, co-sponsored by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
“For 15 years, Bob Goodwin has been a passionate champion of the power of service and volunteering,” said David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. “As Bob often says, ‘more people understand that volunteering isn’t just nice – it’s a necessary part of how America tackles its problems.’ His leadership has been instrumental in building a larger, more effective volunteer movement in America.”
The Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation, Marian L. Heard, noted: “Bob Goodwin is an extraordinary leader and has worked diligently to strengthen our corporate and non-profit partnerships, support the Foundation's vision of encouraging every citizen in America to help address serious social problems and been an incredible example of ‘walking the talk.’ We are so very proud of all he has accomplished.”
“Thanks to Bob Goodwin’s outstanding leadership, the Foundation and the Network have carried forward the mission entrusted to it so many years ago by then President George Bush,” added former Sen. Harris Wofford, a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “Since then, he has combined that mission constructively with the cause of large-scale national service promoted by President Clinton and expanded it further in cooperation with President George W. Bush’s USA Freedom Corps. In joining that legacy of three presidents, he has shown how we can find common ground in citizen service to help solve this nation’s serious social problems.”
"Bob has done an outstanding job in building the Points of Light Foundation from a raw start-up to now the nation's leading advocate for volunteerism in solving serious social issues,” said Steven L. Miller, chairman of the organization’s Board of Directors, chairman and president of SLM Discovery Ventures, Inc., and former president and CEO of Shell Oil Company. “Today the Foundation, its affiliate Volunteer Centers and other partners mobilize more than five million volunteers on the ground addressing community and social needs. Bob's leadership will be missed, but we wish him the very best in his new endeavors." Goodwin’s planned departure date from the organization is March 30, 2007. A search committee will be engaged to identify a successor.
The Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network engages and mobilizes millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems nationwide. Through a variety of programs and services, the Foundation encourages people from all walks of life — businesses, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, low-income communities, families, older adults and youth — to volunteer.
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Robert Goodwin’s biographical sketch is attached for your use. A high resolution photo is available upon request.
ROBERT K. GOODWIN
President & CEO
Points of Light Foundation &
Volunteer Center National Network
Robert Goodwin has served as president and chief executive officer of the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network since July 1, 1995. He joined the Foundation in March 1992 as executive vice president and chief operating officer, managing the day-to-day activities of the Foundation's mission and operations.
Goodwin was instrumental in the development of the 1997 Presidents' Summit for America's Future, which celebrated a commitment to improve the quality of life for the nation's youth. He also created Connect America, a collaborative effort led by the Points of Light Foundation and a diverse group of national and local organizations – including nonprofits, civic associations, local governments, businesses, labor unions, fraternal organizations and news media -- to engage every American in helping to solve social and community problems through volunteering.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Goodwin served as executive director of the U.S. Department of Education's White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). As executive director, he brought together representatives from the federal government, private sector, HBCU and other institutions of higher education to formulate and implement strategies for strengthening the nation's black institutions of higher learning.
Goodwin was also assistant deputy chancellor for external affairs for Texas A&M University, responsible for coordinating congressional, legislative and community outreach activities for the university system. He came to this position after serving as director of public information and then as associate vice president for university relations at Prairie View A&M University.
Earlier in his career, Goodwin was publisher of his family-owned weekly newspaper, the Oklahoma Eagle, in Tulsa. While a student, he served as an associate pastor of several churches in Oklahoma and California.
Goodwin received his bachelor’s degree from Oral Roberts University in 1970. After completing a master’s degree in Social Psychology at the University of Tulsa, he received a master’s degree in Philosophy (Christian Ethics) from the San Francisco Theological Seminary and pursued further graduate study at Texas A&M University.
Goodwin serves as chair of the National Assembly board, and he is a member of the boards of GuideStar, Generations United, Interdenominational Theological Center, National Assembly, National and Community Service Coalition and The Salvation Army.
Goodwin received the 2001 Award for Excellence in National Executive Leadership from the National Assembly of Health and Human Service Organizations. In 2006, The NonProfit Times selected him for the ninth year in a row as one of the 50 most influential people in the nonprofit sector.
He received honorary doctorates from LeMoyne-Owen College, Ripon College, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Notre Dame. Goodwin and his wife, Ruth, reside in Fairfax, Va.
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