Craig McCully

A Rewarding Career
By Linda Norlen

Craig McCully started working at the Lighthouse in 1990 at the age of 19. At first, working at the Lighthouse was overwhelming because Craig did not have much experience working with blind people. Other than a blind couple that he had met through his brother Glenn, who also works at the Lighthouse, Craig did not know any people who were blind and was not sure how to properly act around them.

Craig and his older brother Glenn both have a congenital eye condition that caused the retinas in their eyes to under develop. They were both “mainstreamed” throughout their years in public school and never really discussed their eye condition amongst each other. Craig did not think of himself as having a disability – other than having an eye exam every six months and having to use a magnifying glass, he saw himself as the same as any other sighted person. Though he could not drive, Craig was determined to do everything that his sighted friends did.

Craig’s first Lighthouse job lasted for two years before he was laid off. At that time, 70% of the Lighthouse employees were being laid off due to the slowdown of the economy, causing business at the Lighthouse to decline. Craig had realized that he had not taken the job seriously when he was first hired. He was told upon hiring that he needed to be as flexible as possible on the job. He needed to immerse himself in each new assignment, even if it’s a job where you “have to get grease up to your elbows,” because those who were more versatile were more likely to stay when a business undergoes a layoff period. After two years, Craig was hired back at the Lighthouse and was beyond thankful to be working again. He finally realized the importance of his job and having a steady income, saying that “this was what pays the rent.” Since then, Craig has worked consecutively for 24 years at the Lighthouse, totaling to 26 years since his initial hiring in 1990.

Craig feels very fortunate to have started at the Lighthouse when he did because he has had the opportunity to work through many different production areas and product lines. His technological skill level progressed as he moved to each new task. Some of the many different product lines Craig has worked on are Genie Jacks, which are used for leveling buildings, aluminum ladders, hand trucks, mops, paper trimmers, and kitchen utensils for the military. Craig then moved on to deburring parts for The Boeing Company. In the Boeing production area, Craig was able to work with several machines, such as, Bridgeport milling machines, punch presses, and drill presses—all manual machinery in that era.

Craig worked on the swing shift for about 18 years and ended up being the production lead for four years. Being the senior production lead on the second shift was Craig’s favorite position. He enjoyed the responsibility that came with this role. He was in control of managing the workflow, setting the alarms and closing down the warehouse at the end of the each day.

Craig proudly states, “Making it into a leadership position and going through a supervisory training program was one of my most fulfilling accomplishments.” Unfortunately, Craig had to give up being lead do to health reasons but is still hoping to assume another leadership position one day. He currently holds the position of Senior Machinist in Aerospace, making parts for Boeing 737 and 787 aircrafts.

Other than providing Craig a career, the Lighthouse also led Craig to his wife Maria. Craig met Maria in 2001 about six months after she started working here. They met at their lockers and married a year later in 2002. Craig proudly points out that together they have 43 years of combined service to the Lighthouse. The company has offered both of them many opportunities that they probably would not have had elsewhere.

Though Craig has fond memories of many former employees, Don Helsel stands out as someone who was a mentor to him. Don was Craig’s supervisor, he “used to ride me so hard I thought he didn’t like me,” Craig says, “but after Don retired, he told me how much potential he saw in me that I didn’t see in myself” at the time. In retrospect, Craig now appreciates the attention Don paid to him. After all these years, Craig says he still enjoys his job because it’s rewarding and fulfilling. He looks forward to coming to work because he enjoys what he’s doing, and feels it’s meaningful.