Jen Meisner has a unique ability for encouraging others’ growth. She first discovered her skills while she was a stay-at-home mom volunteering to coach youth league hockey teams. Throughout her 12-year career path at Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin (NCW), Jen has rediscovered and honed her skills, growing professionally in ways she never imagined.

When Jen’s children were young, she experienced a challenging time in her life. She needed to look for employment but was unsure what skills she brought to the workforce. Jen’s search led her to Goodwill NCW and in April 2010 she joined the team at the Shawano store location. Her bright smile greeted people at the donation door as they unloaded their gently used treasures.

During Jen’s employment at Goodwill NCW, her skills have been recognized and encouraged by leaders as she moved from part-time to full-time and eventually transitioned to lead her own store. “It was amazing to see Jen accomplish great things with a growth mindset,” Jill Henselin, Director of Retail Stores at Goodwill NCW said. “Jen embraced the challenge of our mission wholeheartedly, positively impacting as many lives as possible and truly seeing people for who they are.”

Today, Jen is Goodwill NCW’s Retail Training and Project Coordinator, a role in which she creates processes and tools to encourage successful environments for all 28 store teams to thrive. “To be able to have an impact on people’s development and show them that they are valued, no matter where they are in life, is what makes working here so rewarding. If I can be a part of the mission and what we do to help folks for even a minute, that’s just awesome,” Jen said.

Jen Meisner