Goodwill of Greater Washington’s General Manager of the Annadale Plaza Retail Store: Sari Schray
Goodwill retail stores are more than just a great place to find quality donated goods at great prices. The money made through the sale of those goods goes towards free job training, employment services, and education programs for individuals with disabilities and disadvantages.
The retail stores provide the vital financial fuel needed to fund the Goodwill mission.
While the stores are driven by the donations we receive, another essential part, if not the most essential part to their success is our hard-working and committed associates. People like Sari…
Sari Schray is much more than an outstanding General Manager of our new Centreville, VA Retail Store. She is a woman focused on achieving her goals not only for her own betterment, but also for the betterment of an organization she believes in.
Before coming to Goodwill, over three years ago, Sari worked as a warehouse manager in the Shenandoah Valley. The 12-16 hour shifts on top of an exceedingly long commute from the Northern Virginia area were grueling. This not only took a heavy toll on her physically and emotionally, but also on other aspects of her life that she held in high importance; like her family. Sari knew she needed a change.
When she found an ad for an assistant manager’s position in the Washington Post online classifieds, she didn’t know a lot about Goodwill or its mission. It was not until she had the chance to speak with a recruiter that she realized the organization is much more than just a chain of retail stores. She learned the stores fueled a mission that is constantly working to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities and disadvantages in the greater Washington, DC community.
Her career with Goodwill began when she became the assistant manager at the Annandale Plaza retail store. Through hard work and leadership, she quickly gained the respect of not only of her fellow associates and General Manager, Kiri Grant, but also associates throughout the organization. Because of this, she was able to take advantage of well-deserved opportunities and moved up the ranks of the organization. She earned the position of General Manager at the Annandale Road Retail Store and then of her first Goodwill home, Annandale Plaza, when Kiri Grant took over the reins at the Glebe Road Retail Store. And just recently became the General Manager at our newest location in Centreville, VA!
“Working for Goodwill is very rewarding. Not only do I have a career but I am also giving back to the community. Knowing what I do helps the disabled and others in the community means a lot,” Sari says. “The opportunity for growth is overwhelming. I started as an Assistant manager and quickly moved into the General Manager position. Goodwill has become my second family.”
But Sari is not just growing within Goodwill. Much of her free time currently is dedicated to reaching the goal of finishing her Bachelor’s degree in business. With a great deal of determination, and some help from Goodwill’s tuition reimbursement program, she is now within one year of completing her college education.
“I truly want to grow with Goodwill. I want to be able to not only grow myself but also help Goodwill grow.”
When she is not managing one of Goodwill of Greater Washington’s largest retail stores and hitting the books, she loves to spend time with her family and friends. This is something that was difficult for her to do during her previous employment because of the long hours. She firmly believes spending time with those you care about is of the utmost importance. She also inherited a love of photography from her father. While she has not been able to spend too much time behind the lens while in school she hopes to pursue this passion further when she graduates and would even like to take some classes to hone her skills.
It is through the exceptional work of people like Sari that an organization like Goodwill of Greater Washington is able to thrive. We are not only proud and immensely grateful to have her on our team but are excited to see how she continues to grow in her personal and professional life in the future. She is a sterling example of how different working in a Goodwill retail store truly is.
Interested in working for Goodwill?Please visit our Careers page for more information.
