Nov 1, 2021
Award-Winning Financial Leader with Drive for Advocacy Starts Nov. 9
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Goodwill of the Finger Lakes will welcome Carolina Cordero Dyer as the organization’s new chief financial officer on Nov. 9. President and CEO Jennifer Lake announced the new leadership hire to Goodwill’s team of 600+ this morning.
Most recently, Cordero Dyer served as deputy director and CFO for Center for Community Alternatives in Syracuse, a community-based organization that has provided alternatives to incarceration, and behavioral health and policy advocacy to reduce reliance on incarceration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she renegotiated funder contracts and obtained two Payroll Protection Program (PPP) loans, ensuring the organization’s finances remained healthy and jobs were protected in a time of uncertainty. The not-for-profit’s annual revenue is $15 million, having doubled during her tenure.
Prior, she served as executive vice president and CFO for 23 years at The Osborne Association, a long-time New York leader that partners with individuals, families and communities to create opportunities for people affected by the criminal justice system to further develop their strengths and lead lives of responsibility and contribution. During her tenure, she oversaw the $24 million development of a shuttered prison into a community reentry facility, including transitional housing, and oversaw a five-fold increase in revenue (operates at $30 million revenue) and a six-fold increase in the agency’s net assets. Cordero Dyer developed social enterprise programs that employed 110 former participants and generated over $5 million in annual revenue, and served as acting executive director responsible for overall organization management during two sabbaticals.
Cordero Dyer has been recognized multiple times for her leadership, advocacy and results, including the NYC Comptroller Pride Award and the NYU McSilver Institute Award, which honors outstanding individuals who are transforming systems to address the needs of individuals, families and communities living in poverty locally and globally.
“I have always been passionate about the importance of work in people's lives,” Cordero Dyer said. “At a former employer (The Osborne Association), I led the Workforce Development unit, placing hundreds of people with criminal records — as well as disabilities — into jobs. I also led Osborne’s social enterprise, a janitorial program that employed 110 people a year in prevailing wage jobs. This position at Goodwill of the Finger Lakes speaks to my values: that employment provides dignity, pride, sustainability and a sense of worth to people.”
As CFO for Goodwill of the Finger Lakes, Cordero Dyer will serve on the organization’s 16-person leadership team to establish the strategic direction of the organization and lead all accounting, finance, information technology, business analytics and facilities functions across the entire organization, including headquarter offices on S. Clinton Avenue in Rochester and all of its stores and donation centers. Ultimately, Cordero Dyer will serve as the senior financial strategy adviser to the CEO, leadership team and board of directors.
“I love using my skills to further the mission of the organization,” she said. “It gives me a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction to know that I can make a difference in people's lives.”
Cordero Dyer is a CPA and earned a bachelor’s in business administration and finance from Texas A&M University (magna cum laude) and an MBA in management and international business from New York University’s Stern School of Business. She volunteers as board treasurer for Vera House and is on the Legacy and Stewardship Committee of University United Methodist Church, both in Syracuse. She lives in Camillus, New York, with her wife and high school aged twins. Cordero Dyer lived in NYC for many years and recently relocated to Central New York.
ABOUT GOODWILL OF THE FINGER LAKES
A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes prepares and empowers people with barriers to independence to be self-sufficient and contribute to their families and communities. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes’ mission programs ABVI (The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired) and 211/LIFE LINE have a very long and successful history of providing services to our region. The organization’s more than 700 individuals use their passion and expertise to find innovative solutions to address pressing social needs. Each year, Goodwill of the Finger Lakes positively impacts the lives of more than 150,000 people.