O.C. President of Goodwill Is Named Chief Worldwide

George W. Kessinger, president of Goodwill Industries International’s Orange County operations for a decade, was appointed Wednesday as president and chief executive of the organization worldwide, officials said.

Kessinger “puts Goodwill’s mission into action every day,” Carl Hansen, chairman of the headquarters’ board, said in a prepared statement.

The new chief executive, who begins his job June 1, could not be reached for comment.

Kessinger, 59, has worked for Goodwill for three decades, including stints in Kansas City, Mo., and Charleston, W.Va.

His success in Orange County was unparalleled, officials said. During his tenure, they said, Goodwill in Orange County saw a 100% increase in the number of clients served and overall revenue growth of more than 200%.

Kessinger also was the primary force behind the organization’s first Internet venture, officials said. In 1999, he launched https://www.shopgoodwill.com, a Web site that enables smaller Goodwill agencies to use the Internet to expand their services. Since then, it has generated $2 million in revenue for Goodwill, according to the organization.

Kessinger, who lives in Santa Ana, holds a master’s degree in business from UC Irvine and a master’s of divinity from Drew University in New Jersey. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology from the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Founded in 1902 in Boston by a Methodist minister, Goodwill provides employment and training services for people with disabilities and other challenges such as illiteracy, criminal history and homelessness. At its workshops, used household goods and clothing are repaired and then resold or donated.

Now based in Bethesda, Md., Goodwill has a worldwide network of 216 offices and is the seventh-largest nonprofit organization in North America, with $1.85 billion in annual revenue, officials said.