As part of Women’s History Month, we are spotlighting some of the incredible women on the Ruan team! Meet Chris Craig, Executive Assistant, at the Des Moines Campus.
Check out our Q&A below!
Q: Tell us a little about your career path and background.
This year, I will celebrate 44 years with Ruan! I’ve held many roles throughout the years; I started by providing administrative support to the sales and legal teams, served as a personal assistant for 10 years, then I worked with our logistics, treasury, and risk teams. I now currently support the human resources training and development team, executive leadership, and the reception desk at our headquarters. On an interesting note, when I first started at Ruan in 1979, Ruan only had manual typewriters and steno pads! Lots of changes through the years.
Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Ruan?
I am grateful to work with a supportive team and manager, and I enjoy the variety of my day-to-day responsibilities. Our main Ruan number rolls to the reception desk, and as you can guess, it is always interesting talking to callers and figuring out how to provide that welcoming assistance. I like that Ruan is a family-owned company with great benefits, and I value that management and team members strive for excellence every day, especially when it comes to safety, our Guiding Principles, and recognizing our dedicated drivers.
Q: What is your favorite memory during your time at Ruan?
I enjoy the Driver and Operation of the Year awards when the drivers and managers come to the Des Moines Campus; they are so very proud and excited to be celebrated for their accomplishments! Each October, I look forward to the announcement about the World Food Prize’s $250,000 annual award as the foundation honors the newest laureate who has improved the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. I look forward to watching the ceremony televised from the Iowa State Capitol—what an impressive international award celebration that Ruan proudly embraces.
Q: What excites you about Ruan’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts?
I feel that Ruan has always provided a diverse workplace that is inclusive of personal differences and backgrounds. Ruan encourages team members to respect, listen to, and learn from one another, recognize team efforts, and support each other to perform at their best!
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoy going to St. Louis, MO, to visit my three sisters and extended family. My son, daughter-in-law, and five of our grandkids live in New Hampshire on a farm acreage. We like to visit several times a year to vacation, enjoy the horses, goats, dogs, and chickens, and catch up with our family. This year my husband Ken and I will celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary and like to keep busy with his family of three grown children and another three adorable grandkids. With a total of eight grandkids, birthdays, family events, school functions, babysitting, you name it… there is little free time! But when we do find a little, we love to garden, visit new restaurants, enjoy a motorcycle ride, work out, boat, hangout by the firepit, and cheer on the Iowa State Cyclones and St. Louis Cardinals!
Q: In what ways are you involved in your community?
My husband and I have volunteered with our local neighborhood association in various board and committee positions. We have accomplished so much: created and published a quarterly newsletter, coordinated events, created association boundary signs that the city mounted on telephone poles, petitioned for one-sided parking on our streets for child safety and a four-way intersection stop for traffic safety, worked with high school staff on student events, and more. After 14 busy years, we stepped down and are so proud of what we accomplished for our community!