Featured Employee: Leonard Haddock

Stores Warehouse Technician I Leonard Haddock is truly a man of faith. Despite the devastation of Hurricane Irene in 2011, Leonard has continued to rebuild his home and devote his love and energy into his local church family at Gorham Swamp PFB. And he does it all with a smile on his face.

"Irene came in and tore out the roof about all the way down the back end of the house," he said. "You talk about a bad feeling." Leonard didn't throw in the towel, but instead took the past few years to rebuild what was damaged, one project at a time.

Leonard has also kept the faith, literally. "I go to church regularly," he said. "I try to keep projects going with them too. I run the sound system; I also record sermons and give copies to those who cannot leave their homes to attend service."

For 19 years, Leonard has also worn many different hats at GUC. Today, as a Stores Warehouse Technician, his main responsibility is making sure that crews have what they need to get their jobs done.

"My main responsibility is making sure supplies can be easily located and confirming that we have what we're supposed to have from our supplier," Leonard said. "Getting materials to the guys so they can get back to their job sites is top priority."

He's also a curator of the work yard, ensuring that inventory is organized and in working condition. With so many parts and pieces, keeping everything in its proper place can sometimes be a challenge.

"We get so much stuff delivered that it all starts mirroring one another," Leonard said. The key he said is to have patience and to check and re-check each stock and product number methodically, no matter how painstaking the process can be.

Speaking of process, Leonard also serves as an Observer for GUC's Lighthouse Process. He has many opportunities to observe employees from different departments and reinforce safe behaviors and discuss how to change at-risk behaviors.

Leonard says he enjoys his job, and most importantly, loves working with so many wonderful people. "I love helping people out, conversing with them and getting to know them a little bit better," he said.

Born in Pitt County, Leonard and his wife of 21 years, Angie, have two children, CJ and Anna. They also have two grandchildren and another one on the way. When not spending time with his wife or with his grandbabies, you can find him fishing or railroading.

"I try to go fishing all over the place when I can, any place I can drop a hook in," Leonard said. "I really enjoy railroading as well. What I like about a train is the power behind it. The average train car weighs around 290,000 pounds, and with five train cars added, you're talking over 1 million pounds."

Before coming to GUC, Leonard had a job loading train cars and became infatuated with how trains work. "I have three train sets at home, including my 1955 American Flyer," Leonard said. This is a rare set that was only manufactured for twenty years.

Leonard's tenacity and courage to rise above the challenges he's faced is inspiring and perhaps has something to do with his reading habits. "I read the Bible every morning," he said. "Usually, I will spend two to three years reading the Bible from cover to cover, and when I get to the end, I start over again."