LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Opportunity Village announces the addition of Eric Butwinik and Julian Serrano to its Senior Leadership Team. Both join the Las Vegas organization with proven success in the not-for-profit realm, and will serve as Director of Retail Operations and Director of Facilities & Security, respectively.
Eric Butwinik, Director of Retail Operations
In his new role as Director of Retail Operations, Butwinik will be responsible for the development and management of Opportunity Village’s retail, e-commerce, and donated goods operations. His duties also include the oversight of all retail staff, store and donation sites and will work to increase the profitability of all retail operations.
A St. Paul, Minnesota native, Butwinik played a role in his family’s business – a large furniture department store – from an early age, and has since parlayed that experience into a successful retail-rooted career. During his 30 years in retail operations and Information Technology, he has worked for both small and large FORTUNE 1000 retailers. Most recently, Butwinik led Goodwill of Southern Nevada’s retail operations division, an 800-person team encompassing 21 retail stores, two distribution centers and an e-commerce department. Butwinik has been a proud Las Vegan for 27 years.
Julian Serrano, Director of Facilities & Security
As he joins Opportunity Village, Serrano will oversee all of the not-for-profit’s in-house facilities and custodial staff across its four campuses and Thrift Store. Serrano is tasked with stewardship of the property and its staff through the oversight and management of security and safety measures, facility maintenance and ongoing construction.
Serrano hails from Las Vegas and brings more than eight years of experience in not-for-profit business management. He most recently served as Goodwill of Southern Nevada as the Director of Risk Management & IT, specializing in leading teams in project management and process improvement in regards to safety, security, loss prevention, cyber security, network infrastructure, web development and construction.
“Opportunity Village is looking forward to working with our two new directors. And I know that our entire team will benefit from both Eric and Julian’s experience, dedication and understanding in their respective roles,” said Steve Chartrand, Chief Operating Officer of Opportunity Village. Mission: Opportunity Village is a not-for-profit organization that serves people within our community with significant intellectual disabilities, to improve their lives and the lives of their families. Seven families who were determined to give their children with disabilities the best lives possible founded Opportunity Village in 1954. Now, more than 60 years later, Opportunity Village is one of the most recognized and respected organizations of its type in the United States. Nevada’s largest employer of people with disabilities, Opportunity Village serves more than 2,000 individuals annually, providing vocational training, employment, habilitation and social recreation programs and services that make their lives more purposeful and interesting. Opportunity Village citizens – individuals who were previously considered unemployable – workat Opportunity Village’s Employment Resource Centers and in jobs throughout the community, collectively earning wages amounting to more than $3.7 million in 2016. They are hard working and diligent, proudly paying taxes and happily leading more fulfilling lives. Primarily a self-funded organization, Opportunity Village generates the majority of its operational funding through its employment contracts and fundraising efforts such as the Magical Forest and Great Santa Run, saving Nevada taxpayers more than $37 million annually.