Lisa Rusyniak: President & CEO
Lisa Rusyniak is President and CEO for Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, Inc. in Baltimore. Prior to her promotion to CEO she served as the Chief Operating Officer. She has served with the organization for 15 years and oversees all aspects of the organization, including: workforce development (provides employment services to over 25,000 individuals in the Baltimore metropolitan region and the Eastern Shore annually), marketing, fundraising, human resources, finance, retail, goodwill staffing services and public policy.
Lisa holds a B.S. from Salisbury University and a M.S. in Management from Wilmington University. She is a graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee Leadership Program and Goodwill Industries International Executive Development Program. She has also earned an Executive Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute.
She serves on the Maryland Association of Non-Profits Organization Board of Directors and is Chair of the Governance Committee of the Board; the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board’s Board of Directors; the Maryland Chamber of Commerce’s Marketing Committee; the Greater Baltimore Committee, Built Environment & Sustainability Committee, and is the former president of the American Marketing Association, Baltimore Chapter. She was recognized in 2000 as one of the Daily Record’s Top 40 under 40. In 2012, she was selected as a winner of SmartCEO’s Future 50. This program recognizes 50 CEOS of the fastest growing companies in the area, based on a three-year average of employee and revenue growth.
Gerald Grasso: Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
Jerry has over 25 years of experience working for Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. His areas of responsibility include Accounting, Administration, Information Technology, Loss Prevention, Maintenance, Retail Transportation and Recycling, New Business Development and Goodwill Staffing Services. Jerry has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Ithaca College, and prior to coming to Goodwill, worked as a Controller for large manufacturing companies for over 12 years. He and his wife Candace have two daughters, Brittany and Kaggin.
Karen Pearson: Senior Vice President, Workforce Solutions
Karen provides training and employment opportunities for individuals with barriers to work with a team of workforce development and human services professionals. She works with programs and initiatives specifically designed for individuals re-entering the labor market, transitioning from welfare-to-work and other circumstances including facing multiple life challenges, minimal work experience and limited education. She holds a B.S. in Management from Cardinal Stritch University and a M.A. in Librarianship and Information Management from the University of Denver. Prior to coming to Goodwill, Karen was the COO and Interim President for a nationally affiliated non-profit and she has over 20 years in the quasi-government and higher education fields.
Amy Newman: Vice President, Human Resources
Amy provides overall direction and management of the comprehensive HR services offered, including recruitment and selection, employee relations, compensation, benefits, safety, talent development and wellness. She holds a B.S. in Psychology from Towson University and an M.S. in Applied Behavior Sciences from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to coming to Goodwill, Amy worked as the Director of Human Resources for Stella Maris. She has been at Goodwill for over 16 years and is currently a member of the Society for Human Resource Management as well as the Chesapeake Human Resources Association. She also sits on the board for One House at a Time.
Hassan James: Vice President, Public Policy & Development
Hassan represents Goodwill in public policy matters and is responsible for grant development and management. Hassan has an A.A.S in Criminal Justice and B.A. in African American Studies with a minor in Political Science. He also has a M.A.T. in Primary Education from Trinity College and a M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Coppin State University and is a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner. Previously, he served as a Program Manager/ Rehabilitation Specialist for the Shapiro Training and Employment Program (STEP) at Goodwill where he supervised staff at four locations statewide in the provision of rehabilitation services to individuals with psychological disabilities who are entering the workforce. Prior to joining Goodwill, Hassan worked for Coca-Cola as an account manager and as a school teacher.
He currently is involved with the following committees: Maryland Non-Profits Public Policy Committee, Maryland Chamber of Commerce Employment Relations Committee and the Baltimore Workforce Investment Board Public Policy Committee.
Jonathan Balog: Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Jonathan is responsible for the marketing and communications efforts for Goodwill and developing the organizations' strategic marketing plan. He also manages advertising, media relations, community relations, special events, digital communications, social media, direct mail, and internal communications. He has worked for Goodwill for over 7 years. Prior to Goodwill, he worked in marketing roles for various for-profits and non-profits in the Baltimore-Washington area. He earned his MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in English & Professional Writing from The University of Baltimore. He is currently a member of Goodwill Industries International Marketing Advisory Council and The GBC Green/Sustainability Subcommittee.