Spring 2005

Employee of the Year Dave Roberts

“What really strikes me about him is that he’s fearless,” says Master Gardener Helen Weber of 2004 Lighthouse Employee of the Year Dave Roberts. “He’s dependable and he’s loyal -- and he has a really quirky sense of humor.”

A Seattle native, Dave was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration shortly after birth and sustained retinal detachment after falling from a tree at age five. He aspired at an early age to grow up to be a machinist like his father, but felt his vision impairment would prevent him from achieving this goal.

Dave originally arrived at the Seattle Lighthouse in 1985 as a custodian. “Dave jumped right in and performed beautifully,” recalls Clem Provatakis, facilities manager. “[He would] pull out his magnifying glass and inspect corners, making sure they were done correctly.” Dave’s enthusiasm and conscientiousness in his work quickly led to a new position as production worker.

Dave worked on a variety of products for government customers before finally realizing his childhood ambition and becoming a machine set-up in the Lighthouse machine shop. Dave worked evening shifts machining metal parts for Boeing airplanes.

He later became a lead and then supervisor in the injection mold department, overseeing the production of plastic components for products sold to federal customers. He then returned to the machine shop as the first computer numerically controlled milling machines were introduced to the Seattle Lighthouse. Dave entered a lead position once more, this time overseeing the manufacture of non-metallic airplane parts.

Today, Dave works in the maintenance department where he has played a key role in several Lighthouse improvement projects.

“He initiated the preventative maintenance program. He also created and installed the tactile evacuation site [diagrams posted throughout the building],” reports Clem. “He has been instrumental in our hazardous waste and solid waste program.”

As a member of the Employee Positive Action Committee (EPAC), Dave instigated the rejuvenation effort for Ethel L. Dupar’s Fragrant Garden. “He was pruning some pine trees in the garden, and he discovered the boulder [with the inscription: Ethel L. Dupar’s Fragrant Garden],” says Helen. “That was what inspired him. That was the beginning.”

“He sees the big picture of the garden. He’s very tenacious. Dave will work for a long time to get things done. He’ll try a lot of different things until he comes up with a plan that will work,” Helen continues. “I remember when I was first working with Dave, musing to him that this tree needed to come down. Twenty minutes later, that tree was down. That’s been my experience with Dave, he gets things done quickly.”

In addition to EPAC, Dave has served on a number of other Lighthouse committees through the years, including the employee awards committee, the safety committee, and the internal audit team. He is a founding member of the Seattle Lighthouse Toastmasters club chapter.

Despite his busy schedule, Dave also finds time to serve the Seattle community at large. His civic activities include serving on the Beacon Hill Chamber of Commerce, library site committee, and Urban Village.

As Employee of the Year, Dave is our nominee for the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) Milton J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award. The Samuelson Award honors leadership in the blindness field and is awarded to an individual working in a direct labor position in an NIB associated agency. Dave will travel to the NIB conference in Baltimore later this year. "I'm looking forward to going to Baltimore," Dave smiles. "I've always wanted to go to Washington, D.C. which is just a stone's throw away." He continues, "[As the Samuelson Award nominee] I'll find out what I need to do, and do that to the best of my ability. Whatever people need, I'd be happy to do that."

Congratulations Dave!

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