Kim Goff – A Different Kind of Matchmaker

Kim Goff is one of the most successful matchmakers in Georgia — yet she hasn't arranged a single marriage proposal. But that doesn't matter, because unlike most matchmakers her success isn't measured by the number of love connections she makes. As chief operating officer for Hands On Georgia, a statewide network that promotes volunteer service, Kim is in the business of matching volunteers with the needs of Georgia's communities. Recently promoted from executive director, she has helped connect more than 55,000 volunteers with projects throughout Georgia's 159 communities.

This 1992 Robinson MBA graduate has spent her career working with Georgia's communities. Prior to Hands On Georgia, she spent five years as senior vice president of Economic Development at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and seven years working with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) in corporate recruitment and sports marketing.

While her career has kept her engaged in Georgia's communities, her passion for travel first led her to pursue an MBA. "I took some time off to travel while I was an undergraduate student and spent several months in Australia, Indonesia, and New Zealand. It was fascinating to experience other cultures and see how different economies worked." When she came back to the states, Kim changed her plans from law school, a career she had dreamed about since she was 10 years old, to business school.

 "One of the things I loved most about Robinson was how relevant my courses were," she said. "Since I had experienced other economies firsthand, I was able to relate what we learned to what I saw." Additionally, Kim echoed what other Robinson alumni have said about their fellow classmates. "My classes were filled with people who worked at every major company in Atlanta – Delta, Georgia-Pacific, Coca-Cola – and their experiences added so much depth to what we learned in class."

Since Kim had been a non-business major as an undergraduate, she wanted to obtain more hands-on business experience while she attended Robinson. However, she knew that she didn't want to pursue a traditional MBA career path. Robinson's career management office introduced her to Georiga's Department of Economic Development (GDEcD). However, when she inquired, Kim was told that they didn't hire interns. Not one to take no for an answer, she systemically went through the agency contacting each department head until she got lucky with the marketing department. "I not only interned there but ended up staying with the agency for seven years."

 It was at the Georgia Department of Trade and Tourism (a division of the GDEcD) that her matchmaking skills first came into play. In 1994, as the city and state prepared to welcome a record 197 nations for the Centennial Olympic Games, Kim was given what many would have considered an insurmountable task."

My boss had just returned from a meeting with the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and handed me this huge three-ring binder with a list of communities throughout the Southeast interested in hosting Olympic teams from around the world," she said. Kim was made director of the Georgia Olympic Training Alliance and was responsible for matching communities and teams. "It was a daunting task because of the 197 teams, only a couple of dozen could afford to pay for their pre-Olympic training, so communities who wanted to host a team had to help supplement the cost of housing, feeding, and transporting the athletes. They also needed to provide Olympic-quality training areas, which in some cases meant communities had to build special facilities," she explained.

According to Kim, her involvement with the Olympics was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. She said seeing the bonds form between the communities and the athletes that she helped pair was one of the most memorable experiences she had working on the Olympic Games. "It was wonderful to see different cultures working together, whether it was an athlete visiting a local school or a community going the extra mile for the athletes." She recalled a story involving the swim team from Kyrgyzstan and the community of Americus, Georgia. "The team was paying $25 per day per athlete, which covered their room and board in the dorms, and they were barely able to afford that. When they arrived with beat-up, miss matched duffel bags, the community pulled together to provide them with matching luggage and gave each athlete spending money so that they could purchase souvenirs to bring home to their families." Kim's Olympic experience paid off. Not only did she have the opportunity to travel back to Australia as a consultant for the Sydney Olympics, she also confirmed her own passion for helping others – something her parents instilled in her growing up.

Now, in her role with Hands On Georgia and through her own community service, Kim continues to practice what she preaches. At Robinson's recent Alumni Awards presentation where she was honored for Outstanding Community Service, Kim challenged her fellow alumni to get involved. "MBAs have a lot to offer non-profit organizations, and I challenge each of you to serve on the board of a non-profit organization that means a lot to you. Your business education and experience can mean so much to a non-profit and your help will allow them to focus on what they do best." Of course, ever the community matchmaker, Kim continued by offering her services to help Robinson alumni find the right volunteer opportunity and encouraged them to "be the change and volunteer."

If you would like help finding the right volunteer opportunity, feel free to contact Kim at HandsOnGeorgia.org.

This article was published in the vol.III issue I of Back to Business, an alumni publication of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Kim Goff,
M.B.A. '92
Chief Operating Officer,
Hands On Georgia