Since 1963……

It’s really amazing that, until given this assignment, I really had not thought about all that had taken place over the past forty plus years……

After going to college in Michigan for two years, I transferred to and graduated from Clarkson College. I worked out of Caterpillar corporate offices in Peoria, Illinois for a couple of years until I decided to migrate back to northern New York. Along the way I was fortunate to have married Nancy who was from Northern New York and we’ve been going strong for the past 38 years. After Caterpillar, I was a shift foreman with Corning and worked with the handicapped contracting for work opportunities and overseeing production for a local ARC program for 15 years. For a change of pace I took on the challenge of being a recycling coordinator for the County. For the past ten plus years I have really enjoyed ….how many people can say they enjoy what they do…. working for St. Lawrence County Emergency Services. I am EMS Coordinator for the County and Deputy Director of the Department. We coordinate fire and EMS, oversee the 911 Dispatch Center for the County and handle emergency management planning and response for the County. I’m a HazMat Technician on the County HazMat Team and, as if I don’t get enough of that during the day, I volunteer on my local rescue squad…..about 24 years worth now…and I am an interior firefighter on my local fire department. I also chair the regional EMS Council for Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence County. I am awfully lucky to have Nancy’s support. I surely couldn’t be half as effective without her help.

That is forty years in a nutshell. I look forward to reading about what the rest of you have been up to………

......Craig Ballard