Steven Lufburrow ’81 will deliver Southwestern University’s 2025 Commencement address this May. Lufburrow recently retired as President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Houston following a four-decade career with the nonprofit organization.

After graduating from Southwestern, Lufburrow joined Goodwill Houston as the Director of Community Relations in 1981. He quickly rose through the ranks of the organization, becoming Vice President in 1984, before being named the President and CEO in 1986, a position he held until retiring in 2024. Lufburrow also served as the Executive Director of the Goodwill Industries of Houston Foundation.

Under his leadership, Goodwill Houston saw unprecedented growth. Today, the organization operates more than 50 stores and 100 donation centers, and staffs over 2,200 employees. Goodwill Houston has expanded to provide education, training, and job opportunities to people with barriers to employment across seven Houston-area counties.

Lufburrow’s impact on the nonprofit sector extends far beyond his work at Goodwill. He has served as Vice President of the Houston Club Board of Directors, President of the Rotary Club of Houston, and President of the Texas Association of Goodwill. He is also a former board member for the St. Luke’s UMC Foundation, Houston Club, and Rotary Club of Houston Foundation.

Throughout his career, Lufburrow has been recognized for his exemplary philanthropic work. He was the 2014 recipient of the highest honor given to a Goodwill CEO, the Kenneth K. King Fellowship CEO of the Year Award. The Sons of the American Revolution named him their 2016 George Washington Distinguished Service Award winner. In 2022, he was honored by the Houston Business Journal as one of “Houston’s Most Admired CEOs.” Shortly after retiring, the Mayor of Houston proclaimed April 16, 2024 as Steve Lufburrow Day.

While at Southwestern, Lufburrow was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and was a Zeta Big Brother. He graduated with a sociology degree and was named the University’s 1992 recipient of the prestigious Certificate of Merit Award. Lufburrow and his wife Joan both attended Southwestern. They recently served as co-presidents of the Houston chapter of the Southwestern Alumni Association.

Southwestern University’s 2025 Commencement Convocation ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 10 at 9:00 a.m. on the Roy H. Cullen Academic Mall on campus.