Capital Area United Way announces new President/CEO
Capital Area United Way Board of Directors announced, May 10, a new president/CEO for the 88-year-old organization, which serves the 10-parish area. Darrin Goss, Sr. will lead the organization, effective July 1, 2013.
Darrin Goss, Sr. has held the position of Vice President of Community Impact for the United Way of Greenville County since 2007. This United Way agency provides $6.5 million annually in program funding and support to 69 partner agencies and 106 programs in Greenville, South Carolina. In addition, the United Way of Greenville County makes an additional $2.9 million investment in community initiatives. In this position, Goss guided the establishment of several initiatives, including: The Greenville Region Workforce Collaborative, Corps United Program, and the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program.
"We're thrilled to have Darrin join our team and know that we have a passionate leader to guide Capital Area United Way," stated Christy Reeves, current board chair for CAUW. "Darrin embodies the mission of United Way, making him the ideal choice to lead this iconic organization as it continues its important work in the capital area. We've come a long way over the past year and want to take this time to thank Richard Williams who has served as interim President & CEO for his superb leadership and management over the past 12 months. Richard has done a remarkable job, and we certainly saw a lot of positive changes under his tenure as interim."
"I am excited about the opportunity to join the Baton Rouge community and the Capitol Area United Way," said Goss. "I am grateful to the Board and community leaders for their confidence in my leadership."
"We were very lucky to have such a great group of community leaders, CAUW board members, and agency directors serve on the CAUW President/CEO Search Committee," said Scott Berg, chair of the Board of Directors. "They were fully engaged in the process and were always focused on what was best for the CAUW and the community. This was an extended process that required numerous hours of attention and commitment, and I cannot thank the members enough for their time and well thought out approach."
"We are fortunate that these dedicated volunteers were willing to take on this very important challenge," continued Berg. "Additionally, we could not have done this search without the help of LANO [Louisiana Association of Non-profit Organizations] and Ann Williamson [LANO president] in particular."
Goss received a B.S. in Psychology in 1993 from Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. After graduation, Goss became on an officer in the U.S. Army in 1993. During his career, he held positions as a Platoon Leader and Maintenance Control Officer at Ft. Stewart, Ga. His duty stations include: Mannheim, Germany, where he served as Operations and Logistics Officer; Kaiserslautern Germany, as Company Commander of the 5th Maintenance Company; and Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, as an Instructor and Writer for the US Army Ordinance Center and School.
Goss held the position of Director of Multicultural Affairs at Wofford College, and in 2005, he became the Assistant Dean of Students. He earned his Master of Christian Ministries in 2009 from North Greenville University in Tigerville, SC.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including: Greenville's Best and Brightest (2010 & 2011), Spartanburg Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Advocate of the Year (2007), Greenville Technical College TRiO Program Mentor of the Year (2012). He has served as a keynote speaker for the Greenville County Black Elected Officials Prayer Breakfast, The West Spartanburg NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner, and the City of Spartanburg Martin Luther King Jr. Corporate Community Breakfast.
His community involvement is extensive. This past year, he facilitated the creation of the SC Legislative Black Caucus Legislative Agenda for 2013-2014. He has also served on the boards of the City of Greenville Housing Authority, The Spartanburg County Library System, and ReGenesis Health Care.