Austin Goodwill Blog Authors

Janelle Otero
Marketing Coordinator

When I was born in the great year of 1987, my mother hoped to herself that nobody would ever call me Nelle. Well 22 years later, everybody, including my mother, call me some form of the name Nelle, whether NelleBelle, Nelly or just Nelle. I have taken this nickname with me from high school in the land of enchantment, New Mexico, through college at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. It hasn’t quite caught on in the work environment yet, but I don’t know if a Marketing Coordinator at Goodwill with the name NelleBelle would be taken seriously. Other than Goodwill and marketing, I love fashion, tennis, and traveling, but I will only travel if I can take my dog/best friend with me. Good thing my adorable maltese dog, Riley, can’t talk or maybe he would call me Nelle too. Just for this blog, I think I will go by my given name, Janelle Otero.

Suzanha Peña
Director of Marketing

Livin’ la vida Austin is like livin’ la vida Minneapolis…but much warmer. So ‘you betcha,’ I LUV this Texas heat. I also like singing (karaoke – what do you expect I’m Asian), dancing (disco – I can’t help it), playing volleyball (although I’m only 5 foot 2) and watching the Minne-SO-ta Vikings (please win a Super Bowl). And because I get to do these things at work, I also like my job as the marketing director for Goodwill. You see, I sing at work (just ask my staff), I dance (to Thriller during Ghoulwill Ball), I volley (words – constantly with all my colleagues), and I watch (TV – mostly the news). However the best thing about the job is when I get to meet folks whose lives have been changed by Goodwill’s assistance.

Jerry Davis
President and CEO

On a good day, being the president of Goodwill is like being the ringmaster in a 3 ring circus. It can be a spectacular sight—all 1,100 people running in harmony—whether they’re finding someone a job or unloading a donor’s pickup on a Texas-hot afternoon. On a bad day, the clowns, tigers, cotton candy vendors, and acrobats have taken over the stands. If you fear boredom, this is the middle place. I never expected to be the president of a large organization, much less Goodwill. No matter how often I look back fondly on twelve years in healthcare (I mainly practiced in physical rehabilitation), my sixteen years at Goodwill has kept me fulfilled and excited, if not entertained. And as an Ohio State graduate, I am also currently irritated with my Longhorn friends and am eager for a rematch as fall approaches! So I have that going for me, too.