Craig first stepped onto the OTC campus in 1997 as a high school student in the Career Center, which allowed him to attend college for half of the day while spending the other half at his home high school in Fordland.
After high school, Craig enrolled at OTC and earned the President’s Scholarship to help offset the cost. In 2000, Craig won the SkillsUSA state competition, providing him with additional financial assistance. Craig retained his SkillsUSA state title in 2001 and went on to win nationals. Craig earned a spot on the United States World Skills team after that victory. In the summer of 2003, Craig traveled to Switzerland to compete against HVAC professionals worldwide. He finished seventh.
Craig completed his Associate of Applied Science in Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (HRA) in 2001. Craig worked for Howell Refrigeration and then for Wal-Mart in Kansas City after graduation. He was responsible for the operations of the commercial refrigeration and building environments at 16 Wal-Mart stores in the Kansas City area.
Craig wanted to return to the Ozarks after starting a family. In 2005, he accepted a position with Johnstone Supply — a wholesale dealer of heating, refrigeration and air conditioning supplies. Soon after his return to Springfield, Craig started teaching at OTC as an adjunct instructor in the HRA program.
Johnstone Supply encouraged him to use the skills he learned at OTC and his field experience to grow an account advising technicians and helping them secure products through Johnstone. Given his experience with Wal-Mart, Craig has sustained relationships across the country with Wal-Mart technicians. Since building the Wal-Mart account at Johnstone, Wal-Mart recognized the Springfield Johnstone Supply with the vendor of the year award multiple times. Plus, Craig contributed to the Springfield Johnstone Supply store, earning the distinction as the top Johnstone location in the country based on sales.
Craig enjoys contributing his skills, knowledge and experience to help further the program at OTC. He also serves on OTC’s HRA advisory board and volunteers to judge SkillsUSA competitions.
When Craig isn’t working, he prioritizes time with his family. He enjoys hunting with his children, fishing with friends and working on the land his family recently purchased for hunting and farming.