Goodwill® Leader Named To The Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO)

ROCKVILLE, Md., May 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodwill Industries International (GII) Veterans and Military Families Program Manager Pamela Johnson, MBA, has been appointed by Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta to serve on the Advisory Committee on Veterans' Employment, Training and Employer Outreach (ACVETEO).

The ACVETEO is a congressionally mandated advisory committee authorized under Section 4110 of Title 38, U.S. Code, and is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). The ACVETEO assesses the employment and training needs of veterans and their integration into the workforce; determines the extent to which the programs and activities of the Department of Labor are meeting such needs; assists the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training (ASVET) in carrying out outreach activities to employers with respect to the training and skills of veterans and the advantages afforded employers by hiring veterans; and makes recommendations to the Secretary, through the ASVET, with respect to outreach activities and employment and training needs of veterans.

"I'm honored to use my professional and personal expertise to help our nation's veterans explore new avenues to employment," Johnson said. "Many veterans face challenges transitioning from military to civilian life. I pledge to do all I can in this new role to honor their sacrifice and service, and to support them in finding fulfillment through the power of work."

Johnson served in the U.S. Army for nine years and, as a lifelong track-and-field athlete, she joined the Army's World-Class Athlete Program. Following her time in the military, she faced more than a year of unemployment and struggled to find a match between her military skills and civilian positions. After connecting with Goodwill Industries of Houston (TX), a local and independent 501(c)(3) organization, she was hired as an employment specialist and later promoted to program manager, where she managed the daily operations, staff and budget of $1 million federally and privately funded programs.

In 2013, she joined GII, where she supports local Goodwill organizations in providing veteran-centric holistic strategies and financial capacity-building strategies across the country. Johnson also oversees the Operation: GoodJobs (OGJ) initiative, funded by the Walmart Foundation and USAA. The initiative provides comprehensive services for both veterans and military families. Johnson equips local Goodwill organizations with the resources and innovations they need to develop successful veterans-serving programs through advocacy, strategic partnerships, program design and operational effectiveness. Since the launch of OGJ in 2013, it has served more than 7,820 veterans and military family members.

For more information about the Department of Labor's ACVETEO, visit https://www.dol.gov/vets/aboutvets/advisorycommittee.htm.

To learn about what the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) offers transitioning military, veterans and employers looking to hire, visit www.veterans.gov.

About Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 160 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. For the past three years, Goodwill was ranked in the top five brands that inspired consumers the most with its mission in the World Value Index, commissioned by the creative agency, enso. Goodwill has been on Forbes' list of top 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years, the only nonprofit featured on that list.

Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that offer job placement and training services, and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,300 stores collectively and online at shopgoodwill.com^®.

Goodwill helps people facing challenges to finding employment, including people with disabilities, veterans and military families, youth and young adults, older workers, people reintegrating into society, and others working to advance their careers. Local Goodwill organizations build revenues and expand employment opportunities by contracting with commercial, state, government and non-government organizations to provide a wide range of business services, including janitorial and grounds maintenance, flexible staffing, food service, manufacturing and contracts packaging, reverse logistics, document imaging and shredding, and laundry services.

Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 288,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 31 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than two million people received in-person services.

Goodwill is both an icon and accessible neighbor: more than 82 percent of the U.S. population resides within 10 miles of a Goodwill location.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, visit goodwill.org, or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube: GoodwillIntl.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International