Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey recently announced two additions to its executive leadership team, Samantha Rich and Siera Smith Vargas.
Samantha Rich was promoted to executive vice president of donated goods retail following a nationwide search. Rich has led this division as senior vice president for the past seven years, and is credited with strengthening store performance, building an effective team, and delivering results. Under her leadership, the organization’s 29 stores and donation centers have grown into a $50 million retail operation.
Rich has more than 30 years of retail experience – including roles at J.Crew, Burberry, and Club Monaco. In her new role, she will focus on elevating Goodwill’s retail strategy, improving sales per square foot across the portfolio, and guiding high-potential locations like Livingston toward the $3 million revenue mark.
Smith Vargas became the organization’s first executive vice president of business transformation. She recently served as president of Upright Labs and Neatoscan, commerce software and services platforms used in the resale space. She led teams in operational strategy, digital innovation, and process improvement, helping hundreds of secondhand clients maximize commerce revenues in a rapidly evolving marketplace.
In this newly created role, Smith Vargas will join the leadership team to align business processes, enhance operational excellence, and lead data-driven innovation efforts. Her first area of focus will be optimizing Goodwill NYNJ’s warehouse, transportation, and logistics operations.
“These two leaders reflect our core value of ‘no talent left behind,” said Katy Gaul-Stigge, president & CEO of Goodwill NYNJ. “Samantha has grown within Goodwill NYNJ and has innovated in store floor expansions, partnerships in reuse, and built her teams. Siera’s national experience with resale and thrift e-commerce brings a bold, fresh perspective that will help us scale and modernize our operation to put every donation to work.”
