After helping NorthGate employees discover what they are capable of, George Wilkinson is beginning a new chapter, one dedicated to helping even more people rise, grow and succeed
By Sharon Stone
There is a word George Wilkinson prefers over retirement.
He calls it “refirement.”
It is a fitting description for a man who has spent his career moving forward, building others up and looking for ways to turn opportunity into something larger than himself. After nine years as CEO of NorthGate in Flint, Wilkinson is stepping away from his position, but he is hardly stepping away from his purpose.
In fact, he may be just getting started.
His next chapter is Ascend Institute, a new nonprofit built on a philosophy that has guided much of his life and leadership: when people are given the right tools, encouragement and opportunities, they can become more than they ever imagined.
“I don’t see this next chapter as stepping away from purpose,” Wilkinson says. “I see it as having greater flexibility to pursue purpose differently.”
That purpose has always centered on people.
A Mission to “Bless People”
When Wilkinson arrived at NorthGate in 2017, he brought with him decades of leadership experience. His career had taken him through major corporations and organizations, including General Motors, Dana Corporation, Walker International Transportation and the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce.
But NorthGate was different.
The company had a mission that Wilkinson describes as simple, yet profound: “Bless People.”
The mission reflected the legacy of founder Jack Goggins and the heart of owner and CEO Andy Goggins. Wilkinson was given the opportunity to help turn those two words into something that could be lived out every day.
“What I’m most proud of is not a particular program, award or business initiative,” he says. “It is knowing that we were intentional about living the mission every day and that people were genuinely blessed as a result.”
From that mission came Be Ready Enrichment Services, an innovative employee-development initiative that went far beyond traditional benefits. The program focused on personal and professional development, financial wellness, dream coaching, confidence, purpose and helping employees overcome barriers that might be standing between them and success.
The goal was not simply to create better employees. It was to help create stronger, more confident people.
“We helped people become more productive professionals,” Wilkinson explains. “But more importantly, we helped people see possibilities in themselves that perhaps they had not seen before.”
That idea became one of the most meaningful themes of his time at NorthGate.
Because Wilkinson believes potential is everywhere. Sometimes, people simply need someone to help them see it.
George Wilkinson received the Charles Stewart Mott Award at the Flint Genesee Group awards night.
A Defining Moment
Only about a month after arriving at NorthGate, Wilkinson experienced something that showed him just how seriously the company took its mission.
Five employees had been exposed to bed bugs.
Wilkinson informed Andy Goggins, and together they made a decision: the employees would not be punished for something happening in their lives.
Instead, they would be helped.
The employees were placed on leave for two weeks and continued receiving full pay. Their apartment complex was professionally exterminated. Their furniture and bedding were removed, and NorthGate purchased new furniture and bedding for each of them.
For Wilkinson, who had spent years working in major corporations, the experience was unforgettable.
“I had never experienced that level of commitment to employees,” he recalls. “That moment told me something. I knew I wasn’t simply working for another company. I knew I was at a special place.”
“Bless People” was not just a slogan on a wall. It was a way of doing business.
That experience helped shape Wilkinson’s leadership throughout his nine years at NorthGate.
We helped people become more productive professionals,” Wilkinson explains. “But more importantly, we helped people see possibilities in themselves that perhaps they had not seen before.”
— George Wilkinson
Leading with Love
Wilkinson has studied leadership throughout his life, learning lessons as a husband, father, basketball leader, corporate executive and senior pastor of Word of Life Christian Church, which he established in Flint in 2007.
His philosophy has become remarkably straightforward.
“Lead with love, serve with purpose, develop people, hold people accountable and always leave people better than you found them.”
For Wilkinson, leading with love does not mean avoiding difficult conversations or lowering expectations. It means caring enough about people to tell them the truth while also helping them find a way forward.
“I want to be respected, therefore I have a responsibility to respect people in every encounter,” he says. “Even when the conversation is difficult, the person should know that your intent is to help them become better, not to tear them down.”
That philosophy was evident to the people who worked alongside him.
What It Was Like to Work With George Wilkinson
When asked what it was like to work with Wilkinson, his colleagues were quick to describe the impact of his leadership.
Steve Adams, executive director of sales, marketing and engineering, said, “Working with George was nothing short of a blessing. His demeanor was a perfect blend of calm and passion; the two don’t typically go together, but that’s exactly who he is.”
Shown here are (from left) George Wilkinson, former president and Fractional CEO of NorthGate; Jim Distelrath, president of NorthGate; Andy Goggins, owner and CEO of NorthGate; Mia Turner, executive director of human resources at NorthGate; Steve Adams, executive director of sales and marketing at NorthGate; and Brian Kita, executive director of finance/CFO at NorthGate.
Brian Kita said, “Working with George was very easy. George is straightforward and honest with his responses but always shows kindness and compassion to his team and all the employees. Whether the news was easy or difficult for employees to hear, George always delivered it in the most compassionate manner and emphasized the positive, never dwelling on the negative of any situation.”
Mia Turner, executive director of human resources, said, “I think the world of George. He is the ultimate leader, mentor and role model. His care and concern for people are remarkable. His leadership sees, speaks and delivers right to the heart of the matter. It covers, builds and launches the people around him.”
When asked what Wilkinson taught them, professionally or personally, the answers reflected the lasting influence he had on those around him.
Adams said, “George demonstrated in all his actions and directives that God is first, and if we live and work by that creed, good things will always transcend.”
Kita said, “George taught me to look at an organization in a different way: How can we bless our people daily while still meeting our goals as a for-profit business? I had always thought more in terms of employee satisfaction, but focusing on how we as a leadership team can drive the organization while blessing our employees first was an entirely different approach. I’ll carry this with me.”
Turner said simply, “I’m a better leader because he led me.”
The owner, as well as the president of NorthGate, also speak highly of Wilkinson.
Andy Goggins, owner and CEO of NorthGate, said, “I knew George was the right leader for the right time at NorthGate within minutes of meeting him. His heart and his wisdom go before him.”
Jim Distelrath, president of NorthGate, said, “George’s integrity is his calling card. He’s a leader among leaders.”
That philosophy has extended far beyond NorthGate.
Wilkinson has served his community through his church and numerous local boards and organizations. He has helped lead initiatives that supported the Flint community during some of its most difficult moments, including the Flint Water Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2025, he received the prestigious Charles Stewart Mott Award at the Flint & Genesee Chamber’s Art of Achievement Awards. That same year, NorthGate received the Business Impact Award, largely in recognition of its Be Ready Enrichment Services program.
Recognition has followed Wilkinson throughout his career.
But awards are not what he talks about most.
People are.
When individuals are elevated, families become more stable. When families become more stable, communities become stronger. And when communities become stronger, the region and nation benefit.”
— George Wilkinson
The Return Stage
Wilkinson has taught for years that life moves through four stages: learn, churn, earn and return.
Andy Goggins, owner and CEO of NorthGate, joked with George Wilkinson during Wilkinson’s retirement party.
Most people, he says, spend their careers focused on the first three. The fourth is where legacy begins.
“The stage that actually creates a legacy is return, when what you’ve gained stops being about you and starts being poured into someone else,” he says.
That belief is at the heart of Ascend Institute.
The new 501(c)(3) is not an entirely new idea. In many ways, it is the next evolution of the work Wilkinson helped build at NorthGate.
Be Ready was designed to prove that intentionally investing in people could change more than job performance. It could build confidence, improve decision-making, strengthen families and create ripple effects throughout the community.
The model worked.
Now, Wilkinson wants to take it beyond one company.
“We always believed that once it was proven, we should find a way to expand it and extend it beyond NorthGate so that more people and organizations could benefit,” he says. “That time has now come.”
The vision is simple:
Be Ready to Ascend.
Through Ascend Institute, Wilkinson hopes to provide individuals with tools, techniques, relationships and principles that will help them navigate life and work with greater confidence and competence.
The ultimate goal is ambitious, but entirely consistent with the way Wilkinson sees the world.
Help one person rise, and the impact does not stop there.
“When individuals are elevated, families become more stable,” he explains. “When families become more stable, communities become stronger. And when communities become stronger, the region and nation benefit.”
That is the multiplier effect he hopes Ascend Institute will create.
Not Retirement. Refirement.
Wilkinson does plan to enjoy more time with his wife, Sophia. He looks forward to traveling and doing some of the things that a demanding professional life required him to postpone.
But make no mistake, he is not slowing down.
“I live by the teaching, ‘To whom much is given, much is required,’” he says. “So, for me, refirement isn’t about doing less. It is about having greater freedom to do more of what matters.”
And what matters to George Wilkinson is helping people discover their value.
He hopes that when people think about his leadership, they will remember someone who believed in them, challenged them, encouraged them and cared enough to help them find their way forward.
He does not want his legacy to be a title.
Or an office.
Or even an award.
“I want my legacy to be people,” he says.
If, five years from now, Ascend Institute has helped elevate thousands of lives, Wilkinson will consider the next chapter a success. But even then, the story will not really be about numbers.
It will be about the person who gained confidence. The employee who discovered a dream. The family that found stability. The individual who learned to believe, perhaps for the first time, that they were capable of more.
And then, hopefully, that person will turn around and help someone else ascend.
Because for George Wilkinson, success has never been about reaching the top alone.
The real measure of a life well lived is how many people you bring with you.
And George Wilkinson is still reaching back.
