GARY JOB CORPS
As Judge Ruben Becerra summoned Randolph Goodman to the Hays County Commissioners Court guest podium, he began to introduce the long-time Gary Job Corps spokesperson... But Becerra got cut off by a friendly rejoinder.
“For the viewing public,” said Goodman. “If you don’t know me, you’ve got to be in the cemetery.” He was laughing as he said this, as were the Commissioners and the judge.
Goodman has been a frequent speaker at the Hays County Courthouse, as well as the courthouses of surrounding counties. A tireless promoter of GJC for more than 34 years, he is a regular at government meetings and business functions, always a welcome and smiling presence, always repeating his trademark message, “have a wonderful day.”
At the Commissioners Court Session on Feb. 3, Goodman announced his retirement from Gary Job Corps.
“It’s been the joy of my life to work with these young people,” Randolph told the Court after the reading of a proclamation for the Groundhog Day Work Program, which sends Gary students into the business community to “shadow” mentors in their chosen fields.
According to the proclamation, the San Marcos branch of Gary Job Corps is the largest of the 125 Job Corps centers in the nation, with more than 900 male and female students living and learning on a 775-acre campus.
“The Gary Job Corps Center in San Marcos has made a positive and lasting difference in the lives of countless young Texans,” the proclamation stated.
And Randolph Goodman has been responsible for much of the growth and increased visibility of GJC.
Judge Becerra said that he did not even know what Gary Job Corps was before he met Randolph, but now he is “truly a lover and believer of this program … you’re helping to create useful, meaningful, productive community members” out of young people facing challenging backgrounds.
Goodman has effectively built support for GJC among local officials, as well as the public, said Walt Smith: “I can guarantee that every elected official in our county knows who you are. You are a consummate advocate. … you have the backup and the support of the community, it’s been great working with you.”
Pct. 1 Commissioner Debbie Ingalsbe, who represents San Marcos, talked about Randolph’s enthusiastic approach to his job and the influence he has had on San Marcos.
“Well, Randolph, thank you so much. I appreciate your friendship, your positive attitude as you walk in the door, and I know that you’ve made a long, lasting impact on many individuals in our community,” Ingalsbe said.
“You’ve done so many great things,” said Morgan Hammer, Precinct 3 Commissioner. “Boosting up our youth and setting them up for success. You couldn’t have a better legacy than you’re leaving behind.”
Hammer also added with a smile, “How are you going to retire? I don’t know what you’re gonna do.”
Randolph laughed, acknowledging the friendly jibes he has been hearing about his previous retirement attempts, all three of them. But this time will be different, he said.
“I have been married to Miss Goodman for 55 years, and she said, ‘You know what, it’s about time,'” he said.
Randolph first met his wife Eva in first grade in East Austin. They later traveled the world together during his 20 years in the Navy, although she stayed in Texas during his two tours of Vietnam. After all of those overseas assignments, international travel is not part of their retirement plans.
“We’ve already been overseas," he told the Daily Record. "We were in Cuba, we were in Jamaica, we were in Haiti and we were over in Sicily, Spain, Kenya and Australia. We’ve already been in those places. And I don’t see the allure in doing that. They’re just memories in your head.
“We don’t have to go somewhere to have fun, the fun part is just being together,” he said. “So as long as my wife is healthy and I’m healthy, I’m in paradise. If she wants to go play bingo on a Friday morning, we’ll get in the truck and go down to San Antonio and play bingo.”
Although he has only been retired a couple of weeks, Randolph acknowledges that one of his biggest challenges is getting used to not having deadlines and a regular schedule.
“You know, for a long time, I’ve been motivated by the calendar, always thinking about what’s going on next. The Navy gave me that kind of background, because you had to be thinking all the time … It’s tough just to get up in the morning and not have a plan.
“I’m not one that can just step out in the world, and go, oh well, here it is,” he said. “I’ve been conditioned to always think about all the different pieces that fit in.”
While his experience with the Gary Job Corp will be Randolph’s ongoing legacy with the Commissioners Court, he has also been instrumental in uniting the “different pieces” within the San Marcos business community, establishing and building lasting relationships and partnerships.
“Randolph is truly a networker and a connector of people,” said Joey Harkrider, sales manager for Green Guy Recycling. “No matter what your background is, and no matter what field you’re in, none of that matters to him. And I think that’s very important, and is a big part of what the city of San Marcos is right now.”
“He’s true and real. He’s very transparent about who he is and what he’s about,” Harkrider said. “He doesn’t hide behind any covers.”
His sense of purpose has been one of his strengths, according to Goodman. “I’ve been very successful because I’ve been always been goal-oriented.”
And the defining statement of his career, one which applies to his time in the Navy as well as at Gary Job Corps, has been “you come to serve, not to be served.”
This adage, which dates back to his youth in Austin, was his guiding principle during his time at GJC and one that points forward toward his community engagement during retirement.
“As a young hoodlum, about 14 or 15 at the time, I was kind of crazy, just running the streets in East Austin, and it was Dr. Aikens who brought me in,” he said.
Charles Akins was the first black teacher in the integrated Austin School District and went on to become the first black principal. Akins was Goodman’s history teacher in 1964 and it’s with him that Goodman said he was first given the drive that has marked his entire life.
“I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of mentors in my life like Dr. Akins,” Goodman said. Akins pushed Randolph to get a college degree.
He took courses when he could while he was in the Navy and after 14 years, he graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington with a double major in history and political science.
When Randolph decided to join Gary Job Corps, he saw an opportunity to have a similar influence on the lives of the Gary students as Akins had on his own life.
During orientation sessions at Gary, Goodman would recount the lessons he learned from Aikens.
“We have come to serve, not to be served,” he would tell the new students. “If that’s what your philosophy is in life, to see what you can take in life, you’re not going to go anywhere. When you come, you come with an attitude of service, then you’re going to wind up in better places.”
What has made Randolph such an effective leader at GJC is his no-nonsense approach. He seeks to put Gary students in situations where they can show their value to the community through dedication and hard work. He’s volunteered alongside them at events ranging from Sights and Sounds to F1 races in Austin to the San Antonio Rodeo.
“I live for seeing the change in students, to see them grow,” Goodman told the Daily Record. “I tell students that, ‘We’re all crackpots, if you have a candle and you put a perfect pot over it, there’s no light, but if you put a cracked pot over a candle, there will be light and that’s what we are, that light.’”
One of his proudest accomplishments at Gary Job Corps has been the marker for the PFC Kristian Menchaca Memorial Highway along Highway 21.
Menchaca was a Gary Job Corps Security/Corrections graduate who joined the U.S. Army and was killed in combat after he and two other soldiers were manning an observation post. The three soldiers were ambushed resulting in one being killed in action, while Menchaca and one other were captured, tortured and eventually killed in June 2006. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Prisoner of War Medals.
During his retirement, Randolph would welcome an opportunity to volunteer his knowledge and experience, although he says he will avoid requests with schedules, calendar deadlines and lists of goals.
“I’m not working for money. I’ve already been there, I’ve done that,” Randolph says about his wide range of career experience. “I’ve been a center director before. I’ve been a placement person before. I’ve been a Navy chief. I’ve been all of these things before, and now I’m in a position of where I can help in all of them.
”Now it’s about my self gratification and how I can help the community.”
Throughout his career, he as built up a long list of volunteer activities. He has held every office in the San Marcos Lions Club, served on the boards of the Hays County Food Bank, the San Marcos Educational Foundation, the Hays County Crime Stoppers and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). He has been named Ambassador of the Year by the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce and served in the Rotary Club, National Council of La Raza, the local LULAC council and the American Legion.
Every Monday morning, Randolph dropped by the Daily Record office with breakfast and a smile, ready to chat about just about anything, but always sure to thank the newspaper for Gary Job Corps stories we had just published, or remind us about his submissions which had not shown up in the paper just yet. His official title with Gary Job Corps was Community Relations Coordinator, but he has long been the heart and soul of the local branch of the organization.
Throughout his career, one of the motivating factors for Goodman, one attraction which would almost invariably get him to show up at conferences and events, has been a free lunch.
During a previous interview with the Daily Record, prior to his 2019 “retirement,” Randolph said, “The magic word to get me to go anywhere is ‘I’ll pay for lunch,’ and they were trying to get me to come to Gary and I was just kind of avoiding it, but they invited me out and offered to buy me lunch so I came out,” Goodman said. “And as soon as we started driving onto the center, I started seeing some of the young people and I said, ‘You know those guys kind of look like me when I was 18, 19 years old.’ I fell in love with the idea of working and helping these young people.”
“If you ever want something out of Randolph, you just invite him to lunch and you’ve got him locked in,” laughs Harkrider. “He can say no over the phone, but not in person.”
As this article went to press on Monday, Randolph was still retired, likely pending outstanding free lunch offers. All of his friends in San Marcos and the surrounding area wish him the best… and of course he would be welcomed back if he decides to once again include us in his “wonderful days.”
