Mcpherson Celebrates 50 Years At Gaston Skills

LINCOLNTON, N.C. - Linda McPherson has spent 50 years with Gaston Skills, Inc., improving the quality of life for so many people.

When McPherson walked into Gaston Skills (or GSI) to begin her new venture half a century ago, she did not know it was the beginning of a new life. This amazing time with Gaston Skills has been most rewarding for her, working with individuals with developmental disabilities. When she embarked upon this career with GSI in December of 1968, she never realized that it would turn into five decades of dedicated and continued success, as GSI Executive Director Jo Ann Raxter recently observed.

Raxter revealed that McPherson has held several positions within the GSI organization. She began her career teaching adult basic education. She recently stated that it was exciting to work with the individuals as they learned such simple tasks as writing their names, addresses and telephone numbers. For many, this became repetitious. But McPherson never gave up on them.

In the mid-1960’s, Gaston Skills started contract work for local companies. McPherson then became the assistant production manager. Today, GSI clients still do such contract work as packaging, assembly, inspection and more that McPherson oversees as the plant supervisor. 

She stated it was most rewarding to work side by side with the clients as they work on these production tasks. She is proud of the quality work the clients produce. They are extremely proud of what they do and the paychecks that they receive every two weeks. McPherson recognizes that companies seek to work with Gaston Skills because of the clients’ workmanship and the quality of their work. She takes great pride in this achievement for the clients.