Nominations are in and 6 employees have been chosen as finalists for the 2020 Employee of the Year awards! Each year, employees are nominated by their peers and coworkers in recognition of their hard work and commitment to the Lighthouse mission.

Learn more about each of the nominee finalists below. Winners will be announced late December.

Raymond W. Haman Direct Labor Employee of the Year Nominee Finalists:

Felicia Aaron sits in a room with dark blue walls at a desk. She is smiling.

Felicia Aaron, Set-up Specialist Defense, Seattle Facility

“Felicia has great spirit, and is constantly encouraging her co-workers to have a great day. She is willing to help them out when they need assistance. Felicia puts all her effort into doing her best work possible. She is dependable and willing to pitch in anywhere, at any time.”

“Felicia has learned how to adapt to new jobs. She helps to make production more efficient, consistently thinking about assistive devices & techniques that can help her be successful.” – Carla Abbott

Karl Shaeffler sits close to the camera with a conference room behind him. He is mid-laugh.

Karl Schaeffler, Set-up Specialist, Spokane Facility

“Karl joined the Lighthouse in Spokane as one of the original group of employees. He has been a very reliable presence over the years. Always transparent and open in dealing with everyone, his quiet demeanor is a steadying influence on his coworkers.”

“Recently promoted to Set-up Specialist, Karl has used his initiative to really get the job done. Flying under the radar, he has become a true pillar of our Inland Northwest Lighthouse. He has been a runner-up or close to that every year, and this year I think he is ready to represent the Lighthouse as Employee of the Year.”- Dustin Bradford

May Saxby sits in an office room, close to the camera. She is smiling.

May Saxby, Production Worker, Summerville Facility

“May brings so much spirit to our team.  She walks into the plant in the morning and distinctively says, ‘Hello everyone’ with such a sincere voice.”

“May sets the bar for productivity, always motivating the team to do their best.  She never has a negative word and thinks positive thoughts even when situations may warrant some grievances. She always tells me ‘Do not worry Mr. Alvin we will get it done’.” – Alvin Davis

Indirect Labor Employee of the Year Nominee Finalists:

Cathy Wilson sits in her office, the camera held close to her face. She has a big smile on her face.

Cathy Wilson, Human Resources Generalist, Lakewood Office

“Cathy started in 2014 as the BSC Special Order Buyer, exhibiting her first-rate customer service skills, tactfully solving conflicting issues when dealing with orders and simultaneously supporting team members.”

“As a result of these contributions along with her excellent skill-set, she was promoted to the BSC Human Resource Representative position in 2015.”

“Cathy helps so much with on-boarding of all new BSC employees, and keeping them informed of  Lighthouse benefits. So dependable, she is always available to help with any issues. She assists with stores located in three varying states, Washington, Nevada, and California. Cathy is always in good spirits and makes things easy, even when challenges come up.” – Suzann Alvarez

Earnest Glover sits in a room with a plant right behind him. He is smiling, mid-laugh, and wearing a headset.

Earnest Glover, Marketing Assistant, Summerville Facility

“Earnest has a gift for communicating to the community the importance of the Lighthouse mission.  Earnest wants and believes that the Summerville facility will continue to grow, and he only sees a bright future for The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc.”

“Earnest brings people together, even when there are big differences of opinion.  He believes in a culture of community where teamwork and the generation of solutions are the keys to continuous improvement and world class performance.” – Alvin Davis

Dana Van Dussen sits in her office, with a blue wall behind her. She is mid laugh.

Dana Van Dussen, SR. Director of Human Resources, Seattle Facility

”Dana makes numerous, invaluable contributions to the success of The Lighthouse for the Blind, Inc. every day, as she helps propel The Lighthouse forward in fulfilling its mission. She is a stellar role model, because she lives all Lighthouse core values and demonstrates what it takes to be a strong leader.”

“There are fewer people in the Lighthouse organization more dependable than Dana. She accepts challenges, offers solutions to problems, and proactively anticipates barriers and proposes plans to deal with them. She thinks both at a strategic level, but also has the knowledge and skills to understand and assist with tactics. She offers wise guidance, based both on her years of experience, and through appropriate consultation with legal and other counsel.”

“Dana clearly embodies and supports the organization’s core values of accessibility, accommodation, communication, confidentiality, respect, upward mobility, safety, and teamwork.” – George Abbott