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Food Service Program at Naval Base Grows Ten-fold Because of Goodwill Leader

Goodwill Industries International Honors Jacqueline Hallberg with Robert E. and Charlotte Watkins Award for Mission Advancement

June 25, 2007

Rockville, MD – When Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin (Milwaukee) took over a federal contract to provide food services at Naval Station Great Lakes in 1998, 74 individuals with severe disabilities were employed within three months. Under the leadership of Jacqueline Hallberg, Senior Vice President of the Goodwill’s Great Lakes division, the operation has grown more than tenfold, now employing 881 individuals with disabilities. Goodwill Industries International has recognized this outstanding achievement by awarding Hallberg the Robert E. and Charlotte Watkins Award for Mission Advancement.

Hallberg’s operation at Goodwill Great Lakes is distinguished by an innovative staffing model in which workforce development staff provide access to supportive services that aid job retention and satisfaction.

According to John L. Miller, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Goodwill’s growth at Great Lakes has been possible because of Hallberg’s commitment to relationships with community agencies, her ability to recruit people with disabilities and an emphasis on employee development.

“Jackie has a passionate commitment to continually improve and advance the program,” says Miller. “Her leadership and a combination of aggressive recruiting, consistent improvement, collaboration, and attention to the customer resulted in more wages and benefits paid to people with severe disabilities at Goodwill Great Lakes than by any other community rehabilitation program in the Javits-Wagner-O’Day program.”

Employees at Naval Station Great Lakes earn an average hourly wage of $13.15, plus additional benefits of $3.01 per hour, in comparison to the local minimum wage of $6.50. The on-site Career Advancement Center provides interpersonal skills training in addition to any technical training required of employees. Goodwill has also implemented a transportation program for persons with disabilities who might not otherwise be able to get to their jobs.

“Goodwill continues to be a leader in providing exceptional work opportunities for persons with disabilities,” says George W. Kessinger, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. “But Goodwill is only able to do that because of committed managers like Jacqueline Hallberg who see promise in all individuals, regardless of their disabilities, and give them the tools they need to be successful on the job.”

Goodwill recruits employees for the food services contract from more than 50 rehabilitation and referral agencies in northeast Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin with whom the agency collaborates regularly.


The Robert E. and Charlotte Watkins Award for Mission Advancement Award is given to honor a Goodwill leader (CEO, staff or volunteer) who has made an innovative contribution (service or process) to the advancement of the Goodwill mission.