New York, NY – February 26, 2024 – Goodwill Industries® of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. is pleased to announce that Joanna Kibel-Gagne has joined the nonprofit organization as Executive Vice President of Mission, effective February 26, 2024. Dr. Kibel-Gagne was previously deputy chief program officer for Jewish Child Care Association (JCCA). She is a senior executive with over 25 years of experience leading growth and transformation of human service organizations serving individuals and families in need with proven success advancing strategic and operational planning across diverse stakeholders, driving initiatives to increase organizational capacity, and employing a continuous quality improvement and data-centric approach to evaluate and optimize organizational performance.
In her new position, Dr. Kibel-Gagne will oversee all human services programs, called Mission Services in Goodwill NYNJ, which in 2022 provided job connection services for over 9,000 people who are unemployed or underemployed, half of them people with disabilities. Services include skills training, transitional work, behavioral health services for persons with mental illness, on-the-job coaching – services that help people get a job and succeed at work for years or even decades. In the same period, Goodwill placed 1,042 people, a 27% increase from the previous year, in new jobs outside of Goodwill nonprofit thrift stores.
“Goodwill NYNJ welcomes Dr. Joanna Kibel-Gagne as our leader of our mission programs – helping all of us create a world with no barriers to employment. Her experience on the operational side is matched by a passion for life-long learning and deep service to our shared community.” said Katy Gaul-Stigge, Goodwill NYNJ President and CEO.
Dr. Kibel-Gagne began her career in social work as a case planner for a large child welfare organization. Wishing to have a deeper impact on social systems that support people in need, she returned to school to obtain a joint Master in Public Administration and Social Work degree from Columbia University in New York. After completing her degree, she began her career in nonprofit management overseeing a discharge-planning program for women and men incarcerated at Rikers Island. Subsequently, she joined JCCA, a large child welfare and behavioral health organization, where she oversaw practice and program development as Deputy Chief Program Officer. She was responsible for overseeing various programs in JCCA’s foster care, behavioral health, and residential treatment services. As an executive, she spearheaded the agency’s strategic planning cycle, collaborating with senior leaders to develop innovative programming, new business processes, and new practice models across the agency. She was also responsible for driving data-informed, continuous quality improvement structures for all agency services. Additionally, she had direct oversight of the Program Development, Training, and Youth & Family Voice departments.
Dr. Kibel-Gagne received her Ph.D. in Social Welfare from CUNY Graduate Center/Silberman School of Social Work. She also sits on the board of the Association of Children’s Residential Treatment Centers, and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Social Services. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with friends and family.
About Goodwill NYNJ:
Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey, Inc. (Goodwill NYNJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates retail stores throughout the region powered by donations of clothing and household items. Goodwill NYNJ translates those donations into workforce development services for people with disabilities and those who are under- or unemployed, and job training leading to employment. Goodwill NYNJ’s services build better lives for thousands of New York City Metropolitan Area residents and their families. For more than 109 years, the agency’s mission has been to empower individuals with disabilities and other barriers to employment to gain independence through the power of work. Learn more about Goodwill NYNJ at http://www.goodwillnynj.org; follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillNYNJ; and find us on Facebook or Instagram @GoodwillNYNJ.
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