Joanne Hilferty M.P.A. '75, President and CEO of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, Inc., will present a public lecture at the Woodrow Wilson School titled "Social Justice in an Economic Recession" at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 30 in Bowl 001, Robertson Hall on the Princeton University campus.

Since 1995,Hilferty has served as President and CEO of Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, where she provides strategic leadership and direction in order to fulfill Goodwill’s mission to provide individuals with disabilities and other barriers to self-sufficiency to achieve independence and dignity through work.  Goodwill provides job training, career services, and youth programming for more than 9,000 residents of eastern and central Massachusetts each year.

During Hilferty’s tenure, the number of program participants served by the organization has grown from 900 to more than 9,000.  These are individuals who are among the “hardest to employ” because of the challenges they face including disabilities, lack of job skills, limited English, and homelessness.  Under her leadership, Goodwill has also built numerous successful business collaborations with organizations such as The TJX Companies, Stop & Shop, Dunkin’ Brands and Boston Medical Center that have resulted in a wider range of employment opportunities for the individuals Goodwill serves.  Goodwill has also substantially strengthened its role as a social enterprise by growing its retail operation and expanding its other social enterprises, thereby increasing the number of internships for Goodwill trainees.

Prior to joining Goodwill, Hilferty was president of health care technology companies and a senior official in New York State government.  She has a master’s degree in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. 

Hilferty is the recipient of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Award for not-for-profit management, the Women’s Business Hall of Fame Award and the Providers’ Council Executive Director of the Year Award.

This event is co-sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and the Office of Graduate Career Services.  It is free and open to the public.