Goodwill merger pushes expansion plans, KC’s new adult high school to the front of the store, leader says

Consolidating operations between offices in Kansas City in St. Louis not only will produce one of the largest Goodwill footprints in the nation, said Mike Sinnett; the move is expected to bolster efforts to add more retail stores and deepen initiatives like the soon-to-open Excel Center at Bannister Road.

Mike Sinnett, Goodwill MOKAN (Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas)

Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas (MOKAN) and MERS Missouri Goodwill announced Wednesday that their boards of directors voted to merge the two organizations into a single entity under the name MERS Goodwill.

“This merger allows us to expand our mission and program to continue to be relevant in the community and double-down on the strong work we’ve been doing for 131 years here,” Sinnett, CEO of Kansas City-based Goodwill MOKAN told Startland News.

The consolidation process will take place in phases over the coming months, according to Goodwill, which is not expected to disrupt the operation of retail stores, donation centers, or the nonprofit’s wide range of mission-based programs. Sinnett signaled his involvement with the transition, but acknowledged the biggest impacts would be related to back-office operations.

Goodwill is keeping its offices at 18th and Charlotte in Kansas City’s East Crossroads, alongside the Keystone CoLAB, he said. (The organization moved from its nearby building at 1817 Campbell St. in 2019; that property is already on the market.)

“We’re committed to downtown Kansas City. We’re committed to adding more stores and expanding our mission through those spaces,” Sinnett said. “Goodwill is a universal brand, and that remains the same through this change. It just gives us an opportunity to increase our effectiveness, improve access to programs, and really streamline some of the operations and funding that allow us to do that frontline service.”

The coverage area of the newly consolidated MERS Missouri Goodwill now stretches from eastern Kansas, across the entire state of Missouri, to western Illinois.

That footprint allows Goodwill to sharpen its focus on efforts like the new Excel Center Adult High School, which is set to open Oct. 20 near the intersection of Bannister Road and I-435. The school is a first for Kansas City, but the seventh in MERS Goodwill’s existing Missouri territory.

Excel Center graduates from an existing adult high school within Goodwill’s network of workforce training programs; courtesy photo

The school — backed by $250,000 in funding from the City of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as a $606,027 project grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation — provides adults a second chance to earn their high school diploma and pursue brighter futures. 

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“We’ve hired our teachers; we’ve hired our registrar; we’ve hired our office manager,” said Sinnett, noting the community already has welcomed the school’s freshly hired director, Dr. Romeo Michael. “We’re getting the curriculum prepared, and we’re ready to launch in October.”

The consolidation — and initiatives like the Excel Center — allow Goodwill to continue changing lives through the power of work, noted Mark Arens, CEO of MERS Goodwill.

“This merger is exciting because by joining forces, we are combining resources to reach more people, offer more opportunities, and ensure long-term sustainability for the critical programs our communities depend on,” he said. “This is truly a moment to be celebrated.”