CRANE — Retiring Crane Community Support Director Matt Craig was honored last week for his decades of work supporting Naval Support Activity Crane and southern Indiana’s defense community.
State Rep. Chris May, R-Bedford, presented Craig with the Circle of Corydon, an award that recognizes Hoosiers who have made remarkable contributions to the state.
“Matt Craig is a walking encyclopedia for Crane. The amount of knowledge he can recite on a whim is amazing to me,” May said. “His loyalty to the base has been truly tremendous.”
Craig, of Heltonville, retired from NSWC Crane after a 30-year career before joining Radius Indiana in 2016 as the organization’s Crane Community Support director. At Radius, he also worked with business development staff to increase research opportunities and investment in the region, and collaborated with several defense and economic organizations.
NSA Crane Cmdr. Luis “Homie” Martinez presented Craig with a plaque from Team Crane to commemorate his contributions, comparing his role to a basketball point guard.
“The true measure of a point guard is how many assists they dish out,” Martinez said. “A true point guard isn’t there for the glory, you don’t care how many points you score, you just want the team to win. Everything you and the team have built so far is the true point guard mentality.”
Angie Lewis, technical director of NSWC Crane, credited Craig with leading a culture change that emphasized communication, improvement, and advocacy.
“When I tell the Crane story today, it really is the fruit of so many labors that you started,” Lewis said. “When I think of those foundational principles you instilled within us, I hope you look at the organization now and you’re deeply proud of the work that has happened in building national technical leadership.”
Craig reflected on early discussions about Crane’s potential.
“We didn’t think you’d get there nearly as fast as you’ve managed to do,” he said. “I appreciate what you’ve become, and I appreciate the kind words.”
Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle said Craig helped open doors between Crane and the surrounding region.
“Matt, you are clearly one of the most important people who has worked at Radius because of what you did to break down barriers, put gates in the fences to let us all talk to one another,” Quyle said.
Craig began his career as a radio electronics technician in the Indiana Army National Guard and later served in the U.S. Navy as a fire control radar technician. At NSWC Crane, his last appointment was as deputy technical director and interim technical director. He is a member of several professional defense organizations and previously received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for his work at Crane.
Credit for information and pictures goes to Southern Indiana Business Report
