[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 25, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E406]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PAYING TRIBUTE TO JIM McCLELLAND FOR HIS 41 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING 
           SERVICE TO GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF CENTRAL INDIANA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SUSAN W. BROOKS

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 25, 2015

  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 
extraordinary career and accomplishments of Jim McClelland. For more 
than four decades, Jim served as President and CEO of Goodwill 
Industries of Central Indiana. The people of Indiana's Fifth 
Congressional District and central Indiana are forever grateful for 
Jim's community leadership.
  Jim has spent most of his professional life with Goodwill. After 
receiving his Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree from Georgia 
Tech and his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana 
University, he served in the military for three years. He then began 
his career with Goodwill and has been with the company ever since. He 
started with the company in 1970 in Texas and moved to Indianapolis in 
1973 to work with then-President and CEO Alan McNeil. Alan, a role 
model to Jim, tragically passed away less than a year after Jim moved 
to Indiana. Jim was named his successor and has been building and 
developing the organization ever since. Goodwill Industries of Central 
Indiana has only had three CEO's since its founding in 1930 and Jim has 
been at the helm since 1974.
  Goodwill of Central Indiana has blossomed under Jim's leadership. He 
clearly has a true passion for Goodwill's mission and is an outstanding 
leader and social entrepreneur. When he first joined the Indianapolis 
team, the nonprofit had 558 employees, eight retail stores, and $3 
million in revenue. Today, the company has more than 3,100 employees, 
55 retail stores, 10 commercial sites, 10 charter high schools, and 
$310 million in revenue. All profits from the retail side go back into 
improving the community. With these profits, Jim launched many social 
services aimed at reducing the long-term effects of poverty.
  He also worked tirelessly to expand job opportunities for unemployed 
Hoosiers and led philanthropic efforts in education and health. Two of 
his most notable accomplishments are the creation of the Excel Center, 
a program offering education to adults wanting to earn their high 
school diploma, and bringing the Nurse-Family Partnership to 
Indianapolis, a nonprofit that helps first-time, low-income mothers.
  Jim is undoubtedly a savvy businessman and wise investor, but his 
commitment to humanitarianism is what shines through the most. He 
always puts others first, combining his talents to improve the future 
of others. His commitment to helping others extends far beyond his 
position with Goodwill of Central Indiana. He is involved with Goodwill 
Industries nationally and internationally, has served on the boards of 
numerous not-for-profit organizations, and been honored with awards in 
the nonprofit arena. Just to name a few of his accomplishments, he 
helped start a new Goodwill organization in South Korea, sits on the 
board of the Indiana Public Charter Schools Association, and was named 
Nonprofit Executive of the Year by The Nonprofit Times in 2000.
  On behalf of the grateful constituents of Indiana's Fifth 
Congressional District, I congratulate Jim on the occasion of his 
retirement. His entrepreneurial and humanitarian spirit has left an 
everlasting impact on the Indianapolis community and beyond. I wish the 
very best to Jim, his wife, Jane, and their two children as he enjoys a 
well-deserved retirement.

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