Gillian White Goodrich

Gillian White Goodrich was born in Birmingham, Alabama.  She graduated from Converse College in 1968 with a BA in History and received her MA in History from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).  After college, she began her teaching career at Tuscaloosa High School in 1969 and later became an American History instructor at UAB.  After leaving the teaching field, she turned her focus to serving the Birmingham community and began work as Charitable Contributions Coordinator for Protective Life Insurance Company.  She is currently president of the Mike and Gillian Goodrich Foundation whose focus is on education, human services, and the environment.

In March of 2012, Gillian and Mike created the Woodlawn Foundation whose mission is to serve as a catalyst and facilitator for the transformation and revitalization of the Woodlawn community in Birmingham with a cradle to college education pipeline and mixed income housing.

Gillian is active in several civic and charitable organizations.  She has served on the Board of Directors of numerous organizations including Converse College, McWane Science Center, Children’s of Alabama, The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham where she was chair in 2013.  Currently she serves on the Boards of the YWCA, Gateway, and the Alabama Heritage Foundation Board of Directors.  She served as an elder and deacon at South Highland Presbyterian Church.

In 2006 she was appointed to the Board of the State of Alabama, Department of Archives and History.

She is a member of the Alabama Historical Society, and the Birmingham Historical Society.  Mike and Gillian were honored by the Alabama Chapter of Fundraising Professionals as Outstanding Civic Leaders in 2004 and again as Outstanding Philanthropists in 2011.