Goodwill Omaha’s Board Welcomes New Chair and Trustees
The board will announce additional roles in March.
Goodwill Industries, Inc., Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa (Goodwill Omaha), has announced changes to its
Doug Anderson, Chair, Goodwill Omaha Board of Trustees
board of trustees for 2022. One member departed, new members were welcomed, and a new chair led the year’s first board meeting.
Last November, the board elected trustee Doug Anderson to become the next chair, and Anderson’s term began on Jan. 1. He is the vice president of operations at Percipio Partners and chief operating officer at Harvest Development and joined Goodwill’s board in 2019.
“We’re excited to start a new year and to have Doug in this leadership role,” said Tobi Mathouser, president and CEO at Goodwill Omaha. “I have worked closely with him the past couple months, and he’s a strong advocate for Goodwill and a great supporter of our employment programs.”
In December, Mark Stokes, a longtime trustee of Goodwill Omaha, departed the board after nine years of service. Stokes was the board chair in 2017, during which he provided consistent leadership and stability in the restructuring of the organization and efforts to reinforce the agency’s foundation.
“Mark provided unwavering commitment and focus to the success and future of Goodwill Omaha,” Mathouser said. “He is a long-time champion of Goodwill’s mission programs, and Mark has been instrumental to the success of the annual Goodwill Golf Classic, which is our largest fundraiser. We are so grateful for his leadership; Mark remains a friend of Goodwill.”
Goodwill Omaha honored Stokes at its Celebrate Good Gala in November, where Mathouser presented him with a gift.
Jim Rich, Goodwill Omaha’s board chair in 2020 and 2021, served two terms as chair and led the organization through the height of the COVID-19 crisis. Mathouser and Goodwill Omaha also honored Rich at the Celebrate Good Gala for his leadership during the pandemic. Rich remains on the board in the role of chair emeritus and, on Jan. 1, he became a member of Goodwill Omaha’s investment committee.
Aaron Johnson, Goodwill Omaha Board Trustee
Last September, the board welcomed a new trustee, Aaron Johnson, a partner at Baird Holm LLP. Johnson is also chair of the firm’s Corporate Section. He primarily practices in the areas of commercial lending, real estate, and corporate finance.
“Aaron’s depth and breadth of experience in commercial real estate and finance are tremendous assets to our board of trustees,” Mathouser said. “We’ve announced our plans to expand the organization into south Omaha, and Aaron’s expertise will be extremely valuable in the expansion efforts we are considering. I’m so happy to have him on the board.”
Johnson is a graduate of Leadership Omaha and currently serves on the Police Athletics for Community Engagement (P.A.C.E.) Board of Directors.
Juan Padilla, Goodwill Omaha Board Trustee
At the Jan. 25 board of trustees meeting, board members confirmed and welcomed Juan Padilla as the newest trustee of the organization. Padilla is the community development manager at Canopy South, a nonprofit helping to revitalize neighborhoods in south Omaha. Prior to that, Padilla worked at Omaha Community Foundation.
“As we continue to expand our footprint into south Omaha, we’ve met many community leaders in that area,” Mathouser said. “Juan was one of the people we met, and he’s a really good fit for our board. We’re thrilled to have him.”
In March, the Goodwill Omaha Board of Trustees will elect members for the roles of vice chair and secretary.