Head of charitable division will work to expand reach and better achieve mission
Northbrook, IL, USA—April 9, 2018—ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mike Gies as the executive director of the ISSA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the association.
Since 2007, Gies has worked as an independent organization and management consultant, serving clients ranging from US$1 billion global organizations to small proprietorships. He has handled everything from financial analysis, strategic planning, and program implementation to brand management, leadership cultivation, and support for major fundraising campaigns.
In his new role, Gies will ensure the charitable division of ISSA has a comprehensive strategy to further expand its reach and better achieve its mission of “Investing in Tomorrow.” This includes building new long-term partnerships and developing and executing plans for the foundation’s organization, operations, and growing its programs, as Cleaning for a Reason branch and Scholarships and Internships program. He will also work closely with the ISSA Foundation and ISSA boards of directors to spearhead fundraising initiatives and with the ISSA Finance Committee to ensure the foundation operates on a sound financial and budgetary basis.
Prior to founding his own consulting firm, Gies worked at Woodhead Industries where he held numerous executive management roles, including operating officer; subsidiary president; executive vice president of strategic planning, operational planning, and corporate development; and Europe region executive vice president.
“We are looking to take the ISSA Foundation to the next level, to make it more meaningful and expand the opportunities and benefits it offers our membership, the industry, and the communities in which we work and live, “said ISSA Executive Director John Barrett. “To do this, we need a talented, experienced leader to help us refocus our efforts. Given his obvious leadership skills and proven track record in both the profit and nonprofit arena, Mike is clearly the man for this job.”
Gies is not only up for the challenge, but excited by the opportunities he sees to make a difference to so many. “As the worldwide cleaning industry association, ISSA is uniquely positioned to make a positive and meaningful impact on the wellbeing of our society,” said Gies. “I look forward to growing the ISSA Foundation by partnering with the large and growing ISSA constituency, and through the foundation’s charitable programs, contributing to ISSA’s mission to ‘Change the Way the World Views Cleaning.’”
About the ISSA Foundation
The mission of the ISSA Foundation is to raise and provide funds for scholarships, research grants, and other programs that promote the welfare of the public as it relates to the sanitation, cleaning, and maintenance industry. This mission is accomplished with the generous donations received from individuals and companies, many of whom are ISSA members. For more information on the ISSA Foundation, visit www.issafoundation.org.
About Cleaning for a Reason
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Lewisville, TX, Cleaning for a Reason, a division of ISSA, is a nonprofit organization that recruits and partners with maid services to clean homes at no charge for patients undergoing cancer treatment. Since its inception, the charity’s more than 1,200 maid service partners have volunteered their time to clean for over 25,000 women, a donation valued at over US$6.5 million.
About ISSA
With more than 9,200 members, including distributors, manufacturers, manufacturer representatives, building service contractors, in-house service providers, and associated service members, ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association, is the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide. The association is committed to helping its members change the way the world views cleaning by providing its members with the business tools they need to promote cleaning as an investment in human health, the environment, and an improved bottom line.
The association is headquartered in Northbrook, IL, USA, with regional offices in Mainz, Germany; Botany, Australia; and Shanghai, China. For more information, visit www.issa.com, follow ISSA on social media at www.facebook.com/issaworldwideand www.twitter.com/issaworldwide, or join the discussion in ISSA—The Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association Linkedin group at www.issa.com/linkedin.
Cleaning Business Today is a publication of Tom Stewart and Derek Christian, who also partner in Castle Keepers House Cleaning, one of the fastest growing professional house cleaning services in the US.
