Commitment: the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause or activity.
As a member of a Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department for eight years, Dave Craighton is committed to serving his community. He volunteers his time and offers his skills to help the Dows Fire & Rescue Team serve rural Franklin County Iowa.
Dave had held several positions, including Hose Captain and Deputy Chief. He’s currently serving a Training Officer, so he leads monthly training seminars to teaches the 24 members of the Dows Fire & Rescue Team. Recent training topics have included how to cut into a car, handle hoses and a operate water pumps.
“We build comradery through our team, and they’re like another big family. They’re with you through the ups and downs,” says Dave. “All in all, you know you have a support team behind you.”
Dave enjoys volunteering on Fire & Rescue Team and says it feels good to give back to his community. 12 years ago, one of Dave’s family members passed away in a tragic work accident. That situation changed his life.
“I never want to go out on a call. But once my job is done and I look back at what happened, I think about what our team did to help someone else. It’s a good feeling.”
This example of community service was followed by Dave’s son Derrick, who enlisted in the National Guard after graduating from high school in 2007. After serving in Afghanistan, Derrick returned stateside went to Ellsworth College and got his Criminal Justice Degree and worked at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds for 2+ years until his finance’s job led them to Iowa City.
We appreciate knowing there are trained emergency crew members on site in Alexander. As a member of Latham Seeds’ Research Team for the past six years, Dave plays an important role in planting, maintaining and harvesting plots across our six-state marketing territory. He also processes soybean results and provides information that’s vital in selecting products for the Latham® product lineup.
Dave is an inspiration to others in the workplace and in his community. Hats off to people like Dave, who work everyday to keep rural communities safe!
We’d love to shine a spotlight on volunteer emergency crews in your local communities, as well as on those from rural areas who serve in the U.S. military. Feel free to call our office or send an email to MarketingTeam@LathamSeeds.com.
___
Rural communities are the backbone of our country. Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds recognizes and appreciates the many boots our employees, dealers and customers wear to keep rural America healthy. Help us serve those who serve us by nominating someone in your life to feature on https://www.lathamseeds.com and social media channels.