Robert S. Goodale

Robert Seldon Goodale (December 12, 1933 – July 24, 2024) was an American business executive and state official. He led the grocery chain Harris Teeter in the 1980s and later served as deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce in the 1990s.

Early life and education

Goodale was born in Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1933. He graduated from Iowa State University in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in dairy science. After graduating, Goodale served in the United States Army.

He later earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Kansas Graduate School of Business, attending from 1978 to 1980.

Career

Goodale began his career in the dairy industry. He joined Harris Teeter in 1980 and was the president and CEO of the grocery store chain from 1985 until his resignation in 1988. After leaving Harris Teeter he was appointed president of Finevest Foods in Greenwich, Connecticut.

In 1993, he was appointed deputy secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, where he served until 1997.

He later became CEO of Pasteurized Eggs Corporation from 2002 to 2003.

In 1987, Goodale was honored by President Ronald Reagan in a Rose Garden ceremony for his contributions to the community through the “Hay for Farmers” program.

Goodale, who recovered from alcohol addiction in the early 1970s, later became involved with organizations focused on substance use treatment and recovery. His recovery story was also featured in the book Second Chances by Gary Stromberg.

Following his recovery from alcoholism in the 1970s, Goodale became active in addiction-recovery organizations, including the Alcohol and [...] Council of North Carolina, Healing Transitions, and Monarch. He also served on the boards of regional non-profits.

From 2007 to 2009, Goodale served as project manager for the Citizen Soldier Support Program (CSSP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and in 2009 he was appointed director of the program, a role he held until his death. In 2020, the Goodale School and Recovery Community opened in Asheville, North Carolina, as a treatment and education center for adolescents with substance-use disorders. Named for Goodale, the school operated until 2023.