9-13-2022
Jim Priest is a recovering attorney, author, speaker, executive coach, and “people developer.” He currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma and brings a long-standing commitment to helping vulnerable and disadvantaged people. A trial lawyer for over 34 years, Jim previously served as Executive Director for two other Oklahoma nonprofits and is dedicated to creating an employee-first culture that serves employees well so they, in turn, can serve Goodwill clients well.
Jim likes to read, write, run, hike, and serves on several civic boards in his spare time. He’s written a soon to be released book titled “Leadership is an Inside Job” about the importance of character in leadership. He also teaches a weekly Sunday school class, and above all, has a relentless passion for God, his family, and the people of Goodwill.
Jim is married to his wife of 44 years Diane. They have two adult children, one namesake grandson named James and he is owned by a dog called Jeter named after retired Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Chair of the Day
As a senior community development advisor for Federal Reserve Bank, KC, Steve Shepelwich’s work centers on connecting workers with jobs, improving the quality of low-wage jobs, and helping institutions leverage the Community Reinvestment Act to support workforce development programs.
Steve has been in the community development field his entire career. He started in the Peace Corps in Kenya as a small business advisor and then worked with other organizations in the region for about six years. Before taking the position in the Kansas City Fed’s Oklahoma City Branch Office, he was in Washington, D.C., with a development organization and often partnered with Federal Reserve Board staff on projects.
A Texas native, he studied marketing as an undergrad at Texas A&M. During that time, he did a six-month internship with a rural development program in India, which sparked his interest in community development.
Steve lives in Norman, Oklahoma, with his wife and teenage son and daughter, along with a petting zoo: three dogs, two cats, two rabbits, two pigs, two goats and 10 chickens. He is active with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, part of a community disaster response team, and is the incoming board chair for Goodwill Industries.