James R. Ballard

Milt J. Samuelson Career Achievement Award Winner – 2010

James suffers from Macular Degeneration, a condition that began to manifest itself in his teens.  Specialized services were limited in his youth and as education became more difficult, he chose to pursue farm work.  James worked on an area farm, and also raised crops, such as tobacco, to supplement his income.  His farming career spanned approximately 20 years, during which time he married, and had 4 children.

James’ sister, who is also visually impaired, had been employed by LVBI a year before, and encouraged him to investigate employment here for himself.  J.R. was immediately hired and in 1987 became a valued member of our manufacturing team.  James was selected by his peers to represent LVBI as our Peter Salmon Blind Worker in 1997.

James was promoted to indirect labor as a Quality Auditor in 1999 and is responsible for monitoring ISO9001.2008 quality in manufacturing for all our product lines.  James, his sister Patrica, and Darlene Breeden, the Quality Manager, are all visually impaired, and each has advanced from a direct labor position.

When asked about his future plans, James said, “I plan to stay here until retirement.  I appreciate my job and the opportunities I have had here, and I am proud of the things I have been able to accomplish since coming to VBI”.