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Goodwill of OC CEO Nicole Suydam ready to celebrate 100 years, look to future

October 5, 2024

There won’t be any celebrities in the spotlight at Goodwill of Orange County’s big 100th anniversary gala on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The organization is the star, said Nicole Suydam, Goodwill OC’s president and chief executive officer since 2018.

And the gala takes place on the Goodwill OC campus in Santa Ana, not at a fancy hotel.

The gathering will raise funds while celebrating what Suydam said is – and always has been – Goodwill’s chief mission: jobs and workforce development.

“The core of what we’re doing hasn’t changed – connecting with individuals, supporting individuals who need someone to take a chance on them.”

Goodwill thrift stores provide jobs and revenue to help sustain programs for the disabled and others facing employment challenges.

The organization says more than 94 cents of every dollar earned goes to its services: employment, job coaching and training, career development, etc. Goodwill OC gets four stars, the highest possible rating, from the independent nonprofit guide Charity Navigator.

One of the county’s largest and most financially successful nonprofits, Goodwill OC served 30,356 people in 2023 and currently employs 1,760 individuals who make an average hourly wage of $18.98, according to their figures.

Suydam is excited for Goodwill’s next 100 years, particularly the goals set for the coming decade in retail and services.

One newer program, Career Pathways, pairs Goodwill employees with on-staff career navigators to set goals, identify barriers and work on defined steps toward career advancement and higher wages.

Suydam talked about Goodwill’s past, present and future:

Q: In Goodwill OC’s 100-year history, you are the first woman chief administrator. It took 94 years. Do you think about that?

A: Yeah. I do. It took a while for that to happen. I think it was just the right time and I was the right person.

Q: What made you the right person?

A: Part of it was my history with the organization. I had spent over nine years here, before I worked at Second Harvest (leading the county’s largest food bank).

The board knew my passion for the mission – that I could come in and have a vision to take the organization to new places … and be able to move faster maybe than somebody else that didn’t know the organization well.

Q: Goodwill wants to double its retail footprint here over the next 10 years.

A: It’s bold and aggressive. It could take longer but we want to do our best to create some urgency around it. It will really take a lot of work on our part to develop more relationships – especially in south Orange County.

That is really where our presence is missing. I have to do more work to make sure cities understand how we can partner with them and be a valuable resource.

Q: Does that mean increasing the number of stores to 50 by 2034?

A: That would be the bold goal, yes. We have right now 25, so we want to get to about 50.

We want to be smart about that. It could also mean that some of our footprint might change as leases end. Maybe we close smaller stores and open bigger ones.

We’re using a lot of advanced tools to look at neighborhoods and where we could be located. We have a pretty good idea. So as opportunities open up, we work with real estate brokers and cities.

We have to get approvals from the cities, especially when we collect donations. Every time we open a store, we need a donation center, too. That’s how you keep the business sustainable.

Our growth potential is mostly in south Orange County.

Q: What can we expect in 2025?

A: We have a new store we’re looking to open by end of first quarter in Costa Mesa.

We’ve been in Costa Mesa many years with a store on 19th Street. We’ll keep that store and that donation center because it’s very good for us.

We’re also looking forward to expanding on what we’re doing with our Career Pathways Program. We want to open that up to more people in the community who could benefit from that service.

How do we get people on that pathway to good-paying jobs? It’s going to take more community partnerships – with training providers, with community colleges, with other nonprofits.

Q: And what will be the biggest challenge in the foreseeable future for Goodwill?

A: Though we’re a nonprofit, we still operate like a business. The cost to operate has gone up significantly.

I’m glad we’re diversified in how we operate because it definitely is getting more expensive for rent and labor, health care insurance, liability insurance.

Nicole Suydam, president and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County, stands by words that reflect the organization in their headquarters in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The organization celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Computers for sale in the store at Goodwill of Orange County in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The organization celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

A bin of donated sunglasses at Goodwill of Orange County in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The organization celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Shoppers look through clothing at Goodwill of Orange County in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The organization celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Workers unload donated items from a vehicle at Goodwill of Orange County in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The organization celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Workers get items ready to sell at the store at Goodwill of Orange County in Santa Ana on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The organization celebrates its 100th birthday this year. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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