Northwest Aerospace News February | March Issue No. 13 | Page 82

EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
CINDY WATSON
LIGHTHOUSE PRESIDENT & CEO
As the first female President & CEO under 50 in the nation
who is legally blind, Cindy Watson is blazing a trail for
people with disabilities in aerospace. providing sustainable jobs
during this next decade of
progress.”
With a career that spans two decades in organizations with
both a business and social mission, Cindy was promoted
in April 2015 from Senior Vice President to President and
CEO of the 100-year-old enterprise, The Lighthouse for the
Blind, Inc.
A private not-for-profit, the Lighthouse employs roughly
500 people, 270 of whom are blind, DeafBlind, or blind
with other disabilities. These employees make aerospace
parts, office products, and myriad other machined
products for customers such as The Boeing Company
and the federal government. They also provide managed
services, including appointment setting, quality assurance,
account reconciliation, contract close out, and other
administrative services for customers such as the U.S. Navy
and the Defense Contract Management Agency. Cindy earned her MBA in
Business Administration
from the University of
Houston-Clear Lake. She
was also a fellow at the
Cindy Watson,
National Industries for the
Lighthouse President & CEO
Blind (NIB) and provided
teaching, counseling, and employment assistance for the
Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services -
Blind Division.
“The continued growth in meaningful jobs for people
who are blind, the expansion of The Lighthouse footprint
into new communities, the steady increase in revenue
to provide higher wages, and expanded training and
development at The Lighthouse is inspiring to all of
us at our organization,” said Cindy. “I believe these
accomplishments will encourage our customers, donors,
and community partners to help us lead the way in
Previous to her work in Texas, Cindy worked at Winston-
Salem Industries for the Blind as their Director of Contract
Services from 2010 to 2015. She also led the American
Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) Center on Vision Loss and
Web Programs and served on the Board of Trustees in
Dallas. Prior to accepting a position at The Lighthouse as
Senior Vice President, she was Vice President of Services at
Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind.
Throughout her career, Cindy has dedicated herself to
empowering, advocating, and creating pathways to
employment for people who are blind.
PNAA’s Executive of the Year Award is presented to an executive of an aerospace company located within the Pacific
Northwest who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Pacific Norwest Aerospace Industry.
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
PNAA ADVANCE / 2020