Goodwill of Southwestern Pennsylvania recently named Jessica McConnell as its Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Ms. McConnell is the first person to hold this newly created position at Goodwill.
Goodwill SWPA created this position to reinforce its commitment and to further develop its strategic DEIB initiative started nearly two years ago. In that time, the organization has developed a comprehensive DEIB strategy, created an employee-driven DEIB Taskforce, provided learning opportunities for staff, committed to redesigning recruiting and hiring practices, and added “Belonging” to its organizational values. Goodwill SWPA’s full statement on DEIB can be found here: www.goodwillncwv.org/dei.
Ms. McConnell has been employed by Goodwill SWPA for over seven years in various positions, including her integral involvement as a co-leader of the organization’s DEIB Strategic Team. She recently received her Diversity and Inclusion Certification from Cornell University and continues to broaden her DEI knowledge and experience through various trainings, memberships, and networking. Additionally, she served on Goodwill Industries International’s DEI Panel which provides support and counsel to other Goodwill organizations across the country. Ms. McConnell holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh and is a resident of the Lawrenceville neighborhood in the City of Pittsburgh.
An entire list of Goodwill SWPA’s leadership team can be found at www.goodwillncwv.org/leadership.