2023 Goodwill
SEA MAGIC CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 25-27
Hosted by Goodwill of Middle Georgia & the CSRA and Helms College
Where New
Ideas Flow
Welcome to the 2023 SEA MAGIC Fall Conference.
Innovative things happen when you pull together the collective knowledge, talents, and dedication of more than 40 Goodwill organizations. Match that with the support of more than 40 companies, and we have an event that fosters collaboration and innovative thinking.
Goodwill of Middle Georgia welcomes you to Augusta. We can’t wait to see what NEW IDEAS FLOW form this first-ever combined SEA MAGIC Fall Conference.
Conference registration is now closed. If you have questions about registration, contact Karen Lee Davis at kdavis@goodwillworks.org.
Event Schedule
Plan your SEA MAGIC Conference experience by viewing the schedule.
Monday Night Welcome Reception and Dine Around
We’re kicking off the conference from the rooftop. It starts at Edgar’s Above Broad.
Wednesday Afternoon Augusta Experiences
Get to know our host city of Augusta. Through food or drink. By bike or boat. Registration for Wednesday afternoon experiences is now closed.
Welcome to Goodwill 2023 SEA MAGIC Conference!
Access Conference Materials
Download conference presentations, worksheets and bonus materials provided by our speakers and session leaders.
Conference Transportation
Transportation is provided for the following events. Pick-up / drop-off location at the Augusta Riverfront Marriott is located on the 9th Street Fountain Entrance of the Conference Center (ground level).
Destination Augusta
There’s more to Augusta than the Masters. Learn why we love to call it home.
Event Schedule At-A-Glance
Click here for the detailed program and agenda.
| Time | Location | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Noon to 4 p.m. | Terrace Room | Attendee Check-In at the Augusta Marriott and Convention Center |
| 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Check-in (Terrace Room) Set-Up (Plaza Lobby & Prefunction Areas) | Sponsor and Vendor Check-In | Vendor Showcase Set-Up |
| 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Cumming Room | Florida Association CEO Meeting |
| 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. | Walsh Room | MAGIC Workgroup Chairs’ Meeting |
| 5 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. | 699 Broad Street | Welcome Reception at Edgar’s Above Broad
Let’s kick off the conference with small bites and refreshing drinks at Goodwill of Middle Georgia / Edgar’s Hospitality Group’s roof-top restaurant and entertainment venue. Transportation provided at the 9th Street Fountain entrance. |
| 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m | CEO: Pinnacle Club Finance/IT: Pinnacle Club Mission Advancement: Pho-Ramen’L Donated Goods Retail Business Development: Taco Cat HR, Marketing and Fund Development: Craft & Vine |
Workgroup Dine-Around
These networking dinners are for Goodwill and GII team members only. Sponsors and vendors will be provided a list of some of our favorite local spots. Transportation provided. |
| Time | Room | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | Terrace | Attendee Check-In | Help Desk Open Sponsor and Vendor Check-In and Final Booth Set Up |
| 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. | Plaza Lobby | Breakfast Service | Vendor Showcase We invite our early birds to grab breakfast and enjoy some morning networking. Later sleepers are welcome to grab breakfast and take to the Opening Session. |
| 8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. | Oglethorpe D-H | Welcome and Opening Session |
| 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. | Oglethorpe D-H | Keynote Session |
| 10:45 p.m. to 11:30 a.m. | Plaza Lobby | Brunch Service | Vendor Showcase |
| 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. | Oglethorpe D-H | Working Session: Changing the Narrative About Learning in Goodwill |
See session details tab for more info on content and speakers. |
||
| 1:15 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. | Estes AB | Panel Discussion: Cultures Where Employees Thrive |
| 1:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Cumming – MAGIC Walsh – SEA | CEO Track 1:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – MAGIC CEO Meeting 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. – SEA CEO Meeting |
| 1:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Lamar C | Finance and IT Track |
| 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Lamar AB | Mission Advancement Track |
| 1:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Hamilton A | Fund Development Track |
| 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. & 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. | Oglethorpe A | Donated Goods Retail Track |
| 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Moody | Business Development Track |
| 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Prefunction Second Floor | Human Resources Track |
| 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Oglethorpe C | Marketing Track |
| 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. | 9th Street Fountain Entrance | Buses depart the Augusta Riverfront Marriott Travel to the Augusta Campus of Goodwill and Helms College. |
| 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. | Goodwill Augusta Campus | A Culinary Celebration Enjoy a self-guided campus tour through retail, mission advancement, Helms College, and its applied learning venues as you eat, drink, play and network. |
| 9 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. | Buses return to the Augusta Riverfront Marriott | |
| Time | Room | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| 7 a.m. | Terrace | Help Desk Open |
| 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. | Plaza Lobby | Breakfast Service | Vendor Showcase Set-Up |
| 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. | Olgethorpe D-H | General Session |
See session details tab for more info on content and speakers. |
||
| 9:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. | Breakout Sessions Each mini-session is 30 minutes with 15-minute breaks between. Most sessions will be offered twice. | |
| 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Plaza Lobby | Boxed Lunch Pick Up | Vendor Showcase |
| 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. | 9th Street Fountain Entrance | Travel to Augusta Experiences Locations | 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. | Authentic Augusta Experiences For those who pre-registered only. |
| 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. | Travel back to the Marriott | |
| 3:30 p.m. | 2023 Goodwill SEA MAGIC Conference Officially Ends | |
Session Details
| Title | Room | Speakers and Panelists | Description | Session Times | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Cultures Where Employees Can Thrive | Estes AB | Moderator & Panelist: Shane Sokoll, PhD, MBA, Consultant and Coach, Sokoll Resources | Panelist: Dan Owen, President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of Kanawha Valley, Charleston, West Virginia | Panelist: Triyoko Boatwright, DEIB & Talent Management Specialist, Sr., Textron Specialized Vehicles, Augusta, Georgia | This moderated panel discussion with Shane Sokoll, Dan Owen, and Triyoko Boatwright, examines aspects of corporate cultures that support strong employee engagement. Thanks to the MAGIC DGR, HR, Marketing and Mission Advancement workgroups for coordinating this session. | |||
| Business Development Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Business Development Leaders – Sharing Practices | Moody | Melanie Gearhart, Interim VP Business Services, Goodwill of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina | Facilitated discussion around business lines including commercial contracts; Ability One; Franchises; & other programs that diversity revenue. Come prepared to share models for starting and sunsetting business lines and how your Goodwill integrates contracts & Mission services. | |||
| Donated Goods Retail Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Sustainability – DGR focus (Repeat Session) |
Oglethorpe B | Presenter, Brittany Dickinson, Director of Sustainability, GII | Brittany shares a Goodwill network wide perspective on this important focus. Thanks to the MAGIC DGR group for coordinating this session. | |||
| Effective Communications for Donated Goods Leaders (Repeat Session) |
Oglethorpe A | Presenter, Rhiana Sherwood Senior Manager PR & Storytelling, GII | Managing one of the largest business lines with the largest work forces at most Goodwills nessessitates employing strong communication skills. Rhiana explores ways to sharpen this important skill set. Thanks to the MAGIC DGR group for coordinating this session. | |||
| Finance and IT Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Feisty Four: HR; Finance; Workforce & Retail Management Systems; Goodwill Exchange; Retail KPI | Lamar C | Mark Hohmann, CFO, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky & Michael Whitener, VP, Information Technology & Corporate Compliance, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Charlotte, North Carolina | Facilitated discussion among Goodwill Finance and IT professionals regarding Fiesty Four: Finance; HR; Workforce; & Retail Management Systems; Data Analytics – Retail KPI & Goodwill Exchange. | |||
| Cybersecurity; Microsoft and AI | Lamar C | Mark Hohmann, CFO, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky & Michael Whitener, VP, Information Technology & Corporate Compliance, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Charlotte, North Carolina | Facilitated discussion for Goodwill Finance and IT professionals regardingCybersecurity modeling & Microsoft and AI including Responsible AI; Co-Pilot; How will AI change the environment in which we work and for those we serve? | |||
| Finance – Hot Topics | Lamar C | Mark Hohmann, CFO, Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, Louisville, Kentucky | Facilitated discussion | |||
| Information Technology – Hot Topics | Hamilton B | Michael Whitener, VP, Information Technology & Corporate Compliance, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Charlotte, North Carolina | Facilitated discussion | |||
| Fund Development Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Planned Giving | Hamilton A | Jim Williams, Vice President for Fund Development for Goodwill Industries Suncoast | Jim Williams to shares his experiences and uses them to lead a group discussion on Planned Giving. Thanks to the MAGIC Fund Development workgroup for coordinating this session. | |||
| Fund Raising Discussion | Hamilton A | Amy Share, Grants Manager, Goodwill Industries of the Southern Piedmont, Charlotte, North Carolina | Facilitated general discussion on fund development. Come prepared to participate, bringing with you one recent fundrasing success, a hurtle you are facing, and techniques you are using to engage board members. Thanks to the MAGIC Fund Development workgroup for coordinating this session. | |||
| HR Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Facilitated strategic discussion for HR leaders | Prefunction Second Floor | Laura Villegas, Chief Human Resources & Compliance Officer, Goodwill Industries of Southeast Georgia | How we can successfully position our organizations to navigate the future of Human Capital Management? HR Hot Topics include: talent acquisition, DEIB initiatives, associate engagement, retention, associate relations and compliance. Thanks to the MAGIC HR Group for coordinating this session. | |||
| Marketing Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Brand Awareness – Leveraging Storytelling | Oglethorpe C | Matt Spath, Director of Marketing & Communications, Palmetto Goodwill Industries | Facilitated discussion hosted by the MAGIC Marketing Group | |||
| Donations Strategies | Oglethorpe C | Matt Spath, Director of Marketing & Communications, Palmetto Goodwill Industries | Facilitated discussion hosted by the MAGIC Marketing Group | |||
| Mission Advancement Focus | 1:30-2:15pm | 2:30 – 3:15pm | 3:30 – 4:15pm | |||
| Opportunity Accelerator Model and Team Member Development,and AI Technology in the Field of Mission Services | Lamar AB | Deon Carter, Associate Vice President of Mission Advancement, Goodwill Industries of Northwest North Carolina & Stephanie Hoer, VP of Mission & People | Facilitated discussion for Mission Advancement Leaders, Hosted by the MAGIC Mission Advancement Workgroup | |||
| Title | Room | Speakers and Panelists | Description | Session Times | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:45-10:15am | 10:30 – 11:00am | 11:15 – 11:45am | ||||
| Establish a Branch of Helms College | Lamar B | Jim Stiff, President of Helms College and President/CEO, Goodwill of Middle Georgia; Luke Schultheis, Ph.D., Vice President of Education, Helms College; and Bill Dindy, Director of Education, Helms College | You saw our Augusta Campus of Helms College in action. Now learn how you can take this innovative model of career education and experiential learning to your Goodwill organization. | |||
| Retail Operations Associates Degree | Lamar A | DeWayne Cuffie, MBA, Ph.D., Chief Mission Integration Officer, Goodwill of Middle Georgia, and Leah Pontani, MBA, Senior Vice President of Career Development, Goodwill of Middle Georgia | Develop future leaders in retail Goodwill retail operations. Discover more about the upcoming Associate of Applied Science program, proving a pipeline for growing and retaining retail leadership positions within your organization. | |||
| Rising G&A Costs: Part 1 | Lamar C | Dusin Heiler, Manager of Innovation, Goodwill Industries International, and Jodi Henrickson, Member Executive Advisor, Goodwill Industries International | This first of a two-part session addresses how to use automation to boost back office (general and administrative) functions. | |||
| Rising G&A Costs: Part 2 | Lamar C | Dusin Heiler, Manager of Innovation, Goodwill Industries International, and Jodi Henrickson, Member Executive Advisor, Goodwill Industries International | The second of a two-part session leads attendees in a hands-on automation exercise to improve high-impact processes.You’ll map your own process and decide on which tools to plug in to it. | |||
| How to Create an Organizational Culture that Propels Innovation | Estes A | Shane Sokoll, MBA, Ph.D., Consultant and Coach, Sokoll Resources | Developing a clear vision of your ideal culture, measuring your existing culture, and identifying the gaps between the two are practices that are unfortunately not widespread. Yet, this type of intentionality forms the bedrock for charting a course towards elevated levels of innovation and performance. In this session, we will delve into proven instruments for cultivating culture. Likewise, first-hand organizational development experiences will be shared. Participants will have the chance to analyze their organizational culture and gain valuable feedback. | |||
| Benefits Check-Up | Oglethorpe A | Alissa Stewart-Sparks, President & CEO, Goodwill Industries of KYOWVA Area, Huntington WV | Exploring the National Council on Aging’s BenefitsCheckUp tool at: www.benefitscheckup.org BenefitsCheckUp can help indiviiduals to assess, programs, confidentially, before they apply, to determine if they are eligible for key benefits programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicare Savings Programs, Medicaid, Medicare Part D Low Income Subsidy (LIS) | |||
| How to Assess Competencies and What Type of Learning is Needed in Your Goodwill | Estes B | Presented by Dana McDonald, Ph.D., Senior Director, Leadership & Learning, Goodwill Industries International; Lane Schonour, Ed.D., Senior Vice President, Learning & Development, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona; and Everett T. Shupe II, Ed.D., MBA, Vice President, Leadership & Workforce Development, Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia | Attendees will use the framework provided during the general session on Tuesday to work through how their respective organizations can identify and assess competencies for the different roles in their organization and what type of learning they would like to implement. This will be a working session, and the facilitators will support attendees through this process by asking questions attendees might want to consider as they work through the framework. | |||
| How to Foster a Culture of Learning in Your Goodwill | Estes B | Presented by Dana McDonald, Ph.D., Senior Director, Leadership & Learning, Goodwill Industries International; Lane Schonour, Ed.D., Senior Vice President, Learning & Development, Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona; and Everett T. Shupe II, Ed.D., MBA, Vice President, Leadership & Workforce Development, Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia | Attendees will use the framework provided during the general session on Tuesday to work through how their respective organizations can foster a culture of learning in their respective Goodwill organizations, whether it be creating a department, creating a new position, gaining more executive support or partnering across various functions within the organization. This will be a working session, and the facilitators will support attendees through this process by asking questions attendees might want to consider as they work through the framework. | |||
Arriving Sunday?
One question before you make your hotel reservations: Do you plan on arriving Sunday? If your answer is yes, please reach out to Melissa Mundy for assistance. We are working with our host hotel to release Sunday rooms by request. Let us help, so we can all rest easy. Arriving on Monday? Please proceed with your booking!
AUGUSTA EXPERIENCES
You can’t leave until you’ve REALLY experienced Augusta. On Wednesday afternoon we’re offering a variety of ways to get to know our city. Experiences are for ticketed attendees only. Registration for Augusta Experiences is now closed.
Cooking class with Helms College Chef Instructors
Get the hands-on Helms College culinary student experience by learning in the labs from our chef instructors who will walk you step-by-step in creating delicious dishes. It’s fun. It’s yummy. And we know you’ll learn something new to take back to your home kitchen.
Farm to Table Tour of Helms Garden at Wrights Farm
Helms College has a farm. E-I-E-I-O… And on that farm you’ll learn how our students and community come together to learn skills that take you from a fistful of dirt to a forkful of fresh goodness.
Bike Tour through the Heart of Augusta
We’ve partnered with locally owned Bike Bike Baby to show you the town on two wheels. The Heart of Augusta Experience: Cycle the Soul City, is all about downtown Augusta. Visit museums, local businesses, historical landmarks, food, all while cycling to sultry tunes and enjoying the beautiful scenery that Augusta has to offer.
Canal to Cloth boat ride down the historic Augusta Canal
Tour the Augusta Canal by boat, then work the looms of the textile industry to understand the importance of the canal to the Industrial Revolution in Augusta. Characters and interpreters make history come alive.
Bartender For a Day at Edgar’s Above Broad
Enjoy a themed demonstration and education with hands-on cocktail making alongside our friends at All Equal Parts. Belly up to the open-air bar at Edgar’s Above Broad, where you’ll make (and sip) two craft cocktails.
Monday Night Welcome Reception and Dine Around
Join us at the reception for craft cocktails and small bites as we officially begin our conference at Edgar’s Above Broad, an applied learning venue for Helms College culinary students.
Then you’ll dine and network with other Goodwill team members in your field of expertise. Choose your primary workgroup on the registration form once you’ve purchased tickets and get ready to have some fun and fabulous food with like-minded folks.
The ticket price includes an incredible dinner and all non-alcoholic beverages. You’ll be able to purchase those at the venue on individual tabs. Your ticket covers the costs associated with hosting a large group at these restaurants — some of our favorite spots in downtown Augusta.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Thank You to Our Vendors
- Ballator
- Blue Box
- Cash Monkey Solutions
- Chatmeter
- Comcast Business
- Commit Agency
- deFacto Global
- Digital Watchdog
- ed2go / Cengage Group
- evTerra Recycling
- First American
- Fivestars by SumUp
- Florida Wholesale
- Freedom Distribution, LLC
- Geiger
- Good Prints
- Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona
- Grand & Benedicts
- GSA National
- Hammoq
- Helluva
- Kole Imports
- Metrolina Capital
- Netrix
- Orbis Corporation
- Piedmont Companies, Inc.
- Placer.ai
- Planet Gain
- Regent Products Group
- Reminiscent
- Retail Control Systems
- Reusable Transport Packaging
- RSM/Microsoft
- Rumi Apparel
- ScentBridge
- Service Tool Co., LLC
- Simply Good Solutions, LLC
- Solutions ITW, LLC
- Southeastern
- Stellar Successful Solutions
- Sullivan Commercial
- The Contractors Plan
- The Fixture Zone
- Upright Labs/Neatoscan
- Vendoo
- Wellcare
- Wilson Marketing Group
Our conference vendor slots are full. Interested in being involved as a sponsor for future events?
FAQ
For the first time ever, the Mid-Atlantic Goodwill Industries Coalition (MAGIC) and the Goodwill Southeast Association (SEA) are coming together for a combined annual conference. These two groups are comprised of 43 Goodwill organizations, spanning from Washington, D.C. to Kentucky and down to Florida. This September, we’ll gather by the Savannah River to share new ideas and transform ourselves and our organizations. This conference is WHERE NEW IDEAS FLOW.
Be part of the Goodwill movement to share innovative ideas and network with more than 350 Goodwill leaders, including C-level, vice presidents and decision-makers in the fields of finance, human resources, marketing, donated goods retail, workforce development and information technology.
For a full list of registration fees, please view the registration main page. All general sessions, breakout sessions, business meetings, breakfasts, lunches, the Welcome Reception and Culinary Celebration are included in registration. The Monday night Workgroup Dine Around Town and the Wednesday afternoon Augusta Experiences require additional fees, which will be noted during the registration process. Be sure to take advantage of the Goodwill group rate at the Marriott.
Our goal is to best connect your company with the right people at Goodwill. Learn more about conference and attendee engagement opportunities or reach out to Karen Davis to learn more: kdavis@goodwillworks.org.
Contact us at marketing@goodwillworks.org and we’ll do our very best to assist.
In the event you are no longer able to attend the Conference, we encourage you to substitute your registration with a colleague.
Should a cancellation be required, a full refund may be granted for requests made prior to 5 p.m. ET on August 25, 2023.
Cancellations received between August 25 and September 15 will receive a 50% refund.
No refunds will be issued for registrations cancelled or created after September 15, 2023.
Credit card refunds will be issued at the time of cancellation approval by the conference team. Bank processing may take additional time. Check refunds will be issued within 60 days of the cancellation request.
All requests for cancellations, substitutions and refunds must be made in writing and emailed to marketing@goodwillworks.org with “Cancellation Request” in the subject line. The date of the cancellation will be the date the email is sent. It is the responsibility of the registrant to confirm receipt of cancellation.
