SARASOTA/BRADENTON, FL – Goodwill Manasota is pleased to announce its 2022-2023 board of directors. Steve Boone is in the second year of his term as the board chair. New to the board this year is Richard Cautero, who joins directors Xtavia Bailey, Betsy Benac, Debbie Douglas, Shawn Hanlon, Rod Hollingsworth, Eric Kaplan, Rob Morris, Laurie O’Loughlin, Allen Weinstein and Brad West (chair emeritus). Rae Dowling has rotated off the board; Goodwill is grateful for her service.
Cautero is a recent two-term City Council member for the City of Venice, serving as Vice Mayor in 2017, 2019 and 2021. He has held key executive leadership roles with major brands, including Kraft Foods, General Foods, Maxwell House Coffee and Post Cereal, among others. Cautero has leveraged his extensive professional background for a variety of impactful board roles encompassing the corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. His distinguished tradition of community service includes terms on the boards of local hunger relief organization All Faiths Food Bank and cancer support agency Ann’s Place (Danbury, Conn.).
In 2022, some of the top priorities to be addressed with the board’s input and guidance will include: expanding the American Veterans and Their Families program, to better support veterans’ needs in North Port and Venice and serve additional veterans with case management, career services, emergency assistance and networking opportunities; expanding the Supported JobsPlus program for team members with significant disabilities, through the hiring of an SJP program manager and adding at least 10 new SJP team members; enhancing services and increasing the number of community members served in DeSoto County through the Job Connection office located there; expanding the JobsPlus Language program to Goodwill’s Arcadia retail store; doubling the budget for educational assistance for ESOL classes, post-secondary education, market-valued certificates, and leadership programs; and the continued expansion of mission development services, which provide training and support for other Goodwills and generate additional revenue for Goodwill Manasota.
“Our volunteer board members – who live and work locally – are essential in providing guidance and expertise, ensuring the community is being served efficiently and empathetically,” said Donn Githens, president of Goodwill Manasota. “We welcome Rich and look forward to this board’s contributions to Goodwill and our community in the coming year.”
For more about Goodwill, go to experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With philanthropic donations and revenue generated by the sales of donated goods, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities, veterans, seniors, and those with other barriers to employment by providing jobs, job skills training, and free career services. For more information or for a listing of locations, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org or call 941-355-2721.