Goodwill Manasota has announced its 2021-2022 board of directors. Steve Boone has been elected as board chair; new members this year are Eric Kaplan and Betsy Benac, who join Xtavia Bailey, Debbie Douglas, Rae Dowling, Shawn Hanlon, Rod Hollingsworth, Rob Morris, Laurie O’Loughlin-Shulman, Allen Weinstein and Brad West (chair emeritus).

A current priority for the board is the investment and utilization of the recent $10 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. Those funds are already being used to expand programs such as Supported JobsPlus, which targets sustainable employment for workers with severe disabilities; Mission Development Services, which helps Goodwill organizations throughout Goodwill Industries International’s network build better organizations and strong social enterprises to better serve their communities; and the Veterans and Their Families Program, which will be opening an office in South Sarasota County. Goodwill is also launching new programs, such as the Supported Language program, to help improve English proficiency in the community.