Nancy Perkins, FIDSA
President
Nancy Perkins joined the Dallas Lighthouse in 2009 as President. Her expertise in industrial design, manufacturing and marketing enables her to lead the Lighthouse team into its next level of growth and expansion, serving more clients and making a larger impact on the North Texas community.
Previously, Perkins was the principal of her own design consultancy working for clients such as Motorola, Newell Office Products, and Siemens Transportation among others. She worked in a design and management capacity for Sears on the Kenmore, DieHard and Craftsman brands and for Jarden Consumer Solutions where she was responsible for Crock Pot, Rival, Sunbeam and FoodSaver products.
Perkins is a Fellow of the Industrial Designers Society of America and holds numerous U.S. patents for product designs. She taught at Carnegie Mellon University, the Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana.
Gordon Spark
Executive Vice President
Gordon Spark is the Executive Vice President and is responsible for all manufacturing and distribution operations. Mr. Spark has over 38 years of experience in all aspects of manufacturing and distribution operations and has worked with a myriad of companies with annual sales in ranges of $5-$200 million.
Prior to joining the Dallas Lighthouse team he was Vice President and General Manager for Dallas Woodcraft, Executive Vice President of Domistyle and Vice President and GM of Santee Motorcycle a division of Global Motor Sports in Valencia, CA.
Mr. Spark has traveled extensively, is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin {Oshkosh} and earned his MBA in Finance from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Terry Peterson, CPA
Vice President, Finance
Terry Peterson joined the Lighthouse in 2009 and is responsible for all financial business operations, budgeting, reporting and compliance for the Dallas Lighthouse. He was previously the plant accountant of a subsidiary of Home Interiors & Gifts, Inc.
Peterson is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants. He graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Erica Gillylen, SPHR
Director, Human Resources
Erica Gillylen serves as the director of human resources at the Dallas Lighthouse. She is responsible for all aspects of human resources including recruitment and retention, employee relations and benefits administration. Gillylen also oversees the Business Services of the Dallas Lighthouse, overseeing the training and job placement of Lighthouse clients.
Previously, Gillylen was a manager at General Dynamics OTS and vice president for an OEM manufacturer. She is a graduate of Western Governors University and has achieved her SPHR certification.
Terry McManus
Director, Community Services
Terry McManus has been with the Dallas Lighthouse since 2004 and serves as director of grants and special events in the Community Services business unit. His responsibilities include building community partnerships, securing grants, management of the Assistive Technology Lab and programs for Lighthouse clients.
McManus has more than 25 years experience working with the physically and developmentally disabled in North Texas. He received a Presidential Letter of Recognition and Commendation in 2005 for his service to the Dallas community. McManus attended Mountain View College and the Texas Woman’s University.
Blake Lindsay
Communications Specialist
Blake Lindsay is a Communications Specialist at the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind. Visually impaired since infancy, Lindsay offers a unique perspective on all aspects of the Lighthouse communications programs.
Lindsay is a well-known voice talent on Dallas radio stations and manages his own production company in his free time. He has also authored the book Out of Sight Living: A Sightless Person with Perfect Vision.
Prior to joining the Lighthouse, Lindsay worked with Zig Ziglar, the Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Bank of America. He attended Brookhaven Community College in Dallas.
Kathleen Ernst
NIB Fellow
Kathleen Ernst serves as the National Industries of the Blind Fellow to the Dallas Lighthouse. She assists in expanding the product and service offerings of the Lighthouse.
Ernst has more than 17 years of experience in academic and nonprofit environments. Previously, she was program manager for the IBM Terry MBA program at the University of Georgia Terry College of Business.
Ernst was selected for the NIB Fellowship for Leadership Development based on her strong motivation, academic achievement and experience. She holds a bachelor's in business administration from the University of Georgia.