Summer 2006

Contract Administrators Steve Harrison (left) and Nathan Brannon

“The Lighthouse mission is about providing jobs for people who are blind and Deaf-Blind,” says Nathan Brannon, contracts administrator. “Our contracts are the driving force behind employment.”

Nathan and fellow contract administrator Steve Harrison oversee twelve major contracts for quality products such as easels, business cards, custom business products, stamps, and paper trimmers. These products are manufactured and sold to the federal government as part of the Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD) program. The JWOD program creates jobs and training opportunities for people who are blind or have other disabilities, mainly through requiring federal agencies to purchase products from nonprofit organizations employing disabled individuals.

“We are responsible for monitoring and maintaining contracts with our customers,” says Nathan. “We make sure the process of manufacturing is meeting the standard of compliance specified in our contracts and that we are meeting the customers’ expectations.”

“We wear a lot of hats,” adds Steve. “Besides maintaining the contracts themselves, we also deal with issues like credits and returns, informing customers if shipments are going to be delayed, pricing and pricing changes.”

“Steve and Nathan are both doing a great job with keeping the contracts straight,” says Sharon Carmody, sales and services manager. “They keep the production lines rolling and keep jobs in the pipeline for everyone else. They have the most overall knowledge of what we’re doing --- they know the products in and out.”

Lighthouse contract administrators guide the entire production process, from planning to shipping. “We work with shipping, planning, marketing, materials, and accounting,” says Nathan. “We have weekly meetings looking at what’s pending and ready to be shipped. We’re involved with all phases of things and we interact with the majority of departments here.”

Nathan and Steve, who are both legally blind, have directly benefited from the Lighthouse mission. Nathan heard about the job opening at the Lighthouse while studying braille at the Department of Services for the Blind. “I was at the right place at the right time,” he says. 

Steve brings twenty-eight years working at the Lighthouse to his job. He first started working at the Lighthouse in the summers while finishing his bachelor’s degree in accounting at the University of Washington. “I graduated and didn’t have a job, so I kept working here. After working in production, I was offered a job in sales and marketing.”

“The unique thing that Steve brings to this job is that he has a well rounded understanding of everything that takes place in marketing a product,” Nathan says. “He knows the shop, he knows the tools, and he knows the people. It’s been a kind of gift to the Lighthouse. People have come to rely on Steve.”

Both Nathan and Steve prize the opportunities the Lighthouse offers to people with visual disabilities. “From a job perspective, the Lighthouse is very understanding of my needs, like the assistive technology I need to do my job. I have a CCTV here and speech on my computer,” Nathan explains. “Those kinds of things can be really hard to come by at other places.”

 “I like that the Lighthouse strives to provide opportunities and expand employment for people who are blind and Deaf-Blind,” Steve says. “They are now starting to provide more upward mobility as well.”

“I really appreciate the programs they have for people with developmental disabilities as well,” adds Nathan, who served on the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council for six years. “They have something they can do and they’re excited about it. They’re fulfilled.”

Through contract administration, Steve and Nathan ensure that the Lighthouse remains a leading employer of people with visual disabilities. “Their extreme attention to detail keeps the Lighthouse profitable and the customer happy,” says Sharon. “Their diligence in keeping products in place directly translates into providing employment here at the Lighthouse.”

To learn more about Lighthouse-made products or to purchase products at our public store, please visit www.Lighthousestore.org.

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