Two of our own Goodwill Omaha employees were featured in the Omaha World-Herald this weekend. While both Elizabeth Startzer and Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik are awesome members of our Employment and Training family, they were both actually featured for interesting things they’re doing outside of work.

Work Experience Trainer Sarah Lorsung Tvrdik / omaha.com

In Creating niche from passion for fashion, reporter Valerie Novotny profiled Sarah, one of our Work Experience trainers, for how she has taken her interest in fashion and turned it from a hobby to a freelance career as a stylist, costumer and writer.

She got into the styling game through her husband, Jonathan Tvrdik, whom she met in high school and who is one of the co-founders of local film production company H-Minus Productions. When her husband struggled finding a costumer for various films and videos, he turned to the most stylish person he knew: his wife.

Through her work with her husband’s films, Lorsung Tvrdik found other jobs costuming for local independent theater companies and area fashion photo shoots.

She was an unconventional costumer. Instead of sewing pieces from scratch for the productions, she would turn to one of her favorite hobbies, thrifting.

“Working full time at Goodwill really helped when it came to finding costumes,” she said. “I was in the stores all the time anyway.”

Director of Workforce Services Elizabeth Startzer also has a knack for thrifting, but she was featured in the paper for how she’s using second-hand and vintage items to decorate her wedding this Saturday.
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by Jennifer Gries

Meet Janet Johnson! Janet works at the Zorinsky Federal Building in Omaha, Nebraska as a custodian. She is an outstanding employee of the Ability One Program. She recently spoke at a special featuring for the film, “For Once In My Life,” at the Ruth Sokolhoff Theatre. Janet felt honored to be selected because it allowed her to grow more confident in her abilities.

Janet spoke on behalf of herself and fellow co-workers with disabilities because she feels strongly that her job for Goodwill has given her direction, work without a label, confidence in working a federal job and hope. She loves the people she works with because they are very respectful. She feels the Ability One Program is an excellent program — one of the best!

Janet is an accomplished, dependent, strong woman. Janet lives with her husband in the Omaha area. She probably awoke late this morning because she is a bit of a night owl. Janet is knowledgeable in many subjects and stays up late to watch Nightline, Frontline and Nova.

When she is not at work, she reads, works on suduko puzzles, drives around running errands (sometimes for her sister) and cleans. Her all-time favorite activity is reading. She likes to read about brain science because, “it’s a fascinating subject and it helps me understand myself and others.”

Janet sets goals and works towards achieving those goals daily. Her dream is to go to massage therapy school. The film, “For Once In My Life,” inspired her to believe that if she works hard enough, she can accomplish her goal. She encourages others to see the film because it would change their perceptions and attitudes towards people with disabilities.

Janet was part of a panel that answered audience questions after the film screening.

Fun facts about Janet:

• Her favorite food is chocolate, especially Russell Stover chocolates.
• She also enjoys a thick, juicy steak.
• She loves to listen to John Denver.
• Before going to bed, she likes to watch Jay Leno.
• She enjoys spending time with her husband who is currently working on an e-book, hoping it will be published!

We’re proud to count Tierra Scott in our ranks here at Goodwill Omaha. Tierra came to us as a Partnership participant looking to turn her life around, and now she’s one of our Adult Career Specialists helping people in the Omaha area get back into the workforce.

Tierra was featured in a Goodwill Industries International “My Story” podcast earlier this week, talking about her path from being a directionless youth to a successful professional.

I had started hanging with the wrong crowds and my mother saw that it was only going to lead me to a life failure. She sat me down, talked to me and told me I need to get myself together and really figure out what I want my life to be. I didn’t know what I really wanted to do, but I figured I needed to do something.

When I first came to Goodwill, I was unemployed. My case manger Kristin and other staff members stayed on me making sure I was doing what I needed to do; it kind of felt like having an extended family. Kristin took the time to get to know me and what I liked to figure out what areas I would be successful in.

I completed the program in 2008 and was excited since I had successfully completed training, work experience, and found permanent employment. I felt my life was going in the right direction and had stayed in contact with Kristin. I continued to go see her every so often but about six months later I found myself unemployed and felt like I was back to square one. I collected unemployment, but it was running out. I remembered my friend Kristin…

Listen to or read the rest of Tierra’s story at goodwill.org.

In this month’s issue:

• We learn about Goodwill Omaha’s new safety initiatives…
• We get to know Robert Popejoy, our January Employee of the Month…
• We hear a great story about coworkers looking out for the environment and each other…
• Erin Burke tells us about a new partnership between UNO’s Service Learning Academy and a group of North High students…
• Brent Koster teases spring by informing us about Goodwill’s grounds maintenance services…
• Another exciting word search…
• Birthdays, anniversaries and new hires…
• …and more!

Visit our Publications page to download your copy today!

Frank McGree listens to tales of his career at a fall 2011 reception recognizing his 25 years of service at Goodwill Omaha.

Goodwill Omaha’s own president and CEO, Frank McGree, was named winner of the J.D. Robins Distinguished Career Award at the Goodwill Conference of Executives in San Antonio, Texas earlier this week.

Frank McGree, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, Inc., Serving Eastern Nebraska and Southwest Iowa (Omaha), received the J.D. Robins Distinguished Career Award for his 30 years of service. The annual award, now in its 20th year, recognizes a chief executive officer’s achievements at his or her local Goodwill agency as well as contributions to the Goodwill enterprise as a whole.

A quarter century ago, McGree’s Goodwill employed 94 people and served 200 individuals. It operated four retail stores and recorded revenues of $1.6 million. Now, the agency employs over 550, serves over 10,000 people annually, operates 13 stores, and manages seven NISH contracts. In 2011, the Goodwill realized $27 million in revenues.

Under McGree’s leadership, the agency’s board also successfully completed a $10 million capital campaign for a new corporate headquarters and training facility. And in 2011, the Goodwill opened a 90,000-square-foot Retail Operations Center that houses the Dell Reconnect program, an electronic store, a by-the-pound store, its shopgoodwill.com operation and an E-books program, as well as the agency’s commercial contracts operation.

After hearing his introduction, McGree said, “I feel a little tired after listening to that and a little old. But it’s fun stuff to be able to go back and celebrate with the folks back in Omaha.”

McGree also thanked his wife, Kendra, for being with him through all the ups and downs in his career. “Spouses are a critical piece of our success,” he said.