Todd Nielsen, the director of facilities and special projects for Goodwill of the Southern Rivers, has spent his career shaping, building and leading. From his early military days to his current role overseeing multi-state construction and maintenance projects, Nielsen has honed his leadership style through experience, adaptability and a commitment to listening.
Todd Nielsen | Goodwill of the Southern Rivers | Director, Facilities & Special Projects
Nielsen’s career began in the HVAC industry, working for various contractors and wholesale suppliers. However, his foundation in leadership started long before that. In 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Nielsen had just graduated from HVAC college. Watching his friends enlist, he felt a deep sense of patriotism and joined the military as an infantry soldier.
“By the time I was in the middle of basic training, the war was over,” Nielsen recalls. But his military experience proved invaluable, giving him crucial leadership training.
“The leadership and the teaching—you’re always training and learning. The military likes to allow lower-enlisted people to train others, which gave me the confidence to stand in front of people and lead.”
That foundation carried through his post-military career. When he joined Goodwill of the Southern Rivers in February 2017, he brought a disciplined yet evolving leadership style.
“I’ve had to adapt over the years. I used to think leadership was about giving orders, but I’ve learned it’s about listening. People learn differently, and I can’t just tell them what to do—I must explain why we’re doing certain things.”
Goodwill of the Southern Rivers (GoodwillSR) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming lives through the power of work. Serving communities across West Georgia and East Alabama, GoodwillSR operates retail stores and donation centers that fund essential job training, employment placement, and career development services for individuals facing barriers to employment.
With a mission to help people achieve economic self-sufficiency through job training and education, GoodwillSR provides free career resources, including resume workshops, skills training, and job placement assistance. Through strategic partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, and workforce development programs, GoodwillSR empowers individuals to build sustainable careers and improve their quality of life.
In addition to its commitment to workforce development, GoodwillSR plays a vital role in environmental sustainability by promoting the reuse and recycling of donated goods. Every purchase at a Goodwill store supports job creation and training initiatives, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to strengthening communities through employment and economic opportunity.
Expanding Goodwill’s footprint
As director of facilities and special projects since October 2023, Nielsen is leading ambitious projects that will reshape Goodwill of the Southern Rivers’ retail presence. He manages a core team of six employees but oversees about 100 contractors across two states.
“When we’re building, it’s a team of about eight directly, but we have around 100 contractors involved across Georgia and Alabama,” Nielsen says. “We are incredibly busy for the next 15 to 18 months.”
One of the most exciting projects is expanding the flagship store in Columbus, Georgia. The store is adding 4,000 square feet and will feature a boutique kids’ store called “Kids Zone.” While there wasn’t formal customer feedback indicating a need for a kids’ store, Nielsen says the abundance of children’s items made the decision clear.
“It’s a last-chance sale for kids’ stuff—it benefits us, the environment and the community,” he explains. “Talking to customers, everybody is stoked about it.”
The expansion involves leasing an adjacent space in a strip mall, demolishing part of the existing structure and cutting new entranceways. The space, formerly an old bar with a second story that couldn’t be used, is being completely transformed.
“We’re doing a full design on this—nobody else has done this for kids within Goodwill,” Nielsen says. “It should be completed by May.”
Beyond Columbus, Nielsen is leading additional expansion efforts. Goodwill is adding another 7,000 square feet to its store in Eufaula, Alabama. This project, a ground-up construction with a metal structure and brick façade, is set to break ground in March and will take about seven months to complete.
In Auburn, Alabama, a brand-new 20,000-square-foot store is being developed just 1.5 miles from Auburn University’s campus. This store marks a milestone for Goodwill of the Southern Rivers—it will be one of the first locations with electric vehicle charging stations in the parking lot.
“The Auburn site is an undeveloped property,” Nielsen explains. “It takes us about nine months from start to finish. We’re closing on the property in late February. Auburn has strict building codes, so we had to make sure they liked the style of our building.”
Nielsen’s role involves weekly site visits, which increase as projects near completion. For local projects in Georgia, he visits weekly. Within a month of completion, he’s there every business day to ensure everything is set up, finish the finishing touches, and handle the punch list before grand openings.
Streamlining facilities management
Beyond new construction, Nielsen has transformed how Goodwill of the Southern Rivers handles facility maintenance. The organization recently transitioned from propane lifts to all-electric lifts, improving efficiency and sustainability.
One of the most significant operational improvements has been the implementation of FMX, a facility maintenance management program. Previously, maintenance tracking relied on an Excel spreadsheet and manual reporting. FMX allows the team to log repairs, track equipment life expectancy, and streamline department communication.
“FMX has been fantastic,” Nielsen says. “Our team can see what needs to be repaired, security can check cameras and alarms, and transportation is integrated. It has helped tremendously with streamlining our operations, and everybody has been ecstatic about it.”
The system also provides valuable analytics, tracking money spent on repairs and identifying which stores have the most maintenance issues.
“My customers are the mission department, the retail department and the campus people,” Nielsen explains. “Whenever something breaks, an email chain kicks off, moving throughout the process seamlessly.”
An evolving leader
As Nielsen reflects on his leadership journey, he acknowledges how much he has grown since his early management roles in the mid-1990s.
“I’ve been in leadership for a long time, and it’s been a process of trial and error,” he admits. “The military gave me a great foundation, but I’ve had to evolve. I used to be blunter but learned to communicate differently. I’ve also learned the importance of listening—my employees often have great ideas, and I need to take those into account.”
As he continues to lead Goodwill of the Southern Rivers’ expansion and operational improvements, Nielsen remains committed to building stores and strong teams and communities.
With multiple projects in motion and a vision for efficiency and sustainability, Nielsen proves that Goodwill’s mission isn’t just about secondhand goods—it’s about forward-thinking leadership and transformative growth.
Nonprofit networks such as Goodwill require sustained HR & staffing support to manage high-volume hiring, training and workforce-development programs across multiple communities.
