Following high school, Craig attended Schenectady County Community College and earned an Associate in Occupational Studies degree in the renowned Culinary Arts program.

After College Craig moved to San Diego, California where he worked as the Executive Chef in a corporate dining setting for a few years. While living in Southern California he traveled extensively in Mexico. In 1999 he moved back to Easton to be closer to family. When he returned he was involved in opening the Dovegate Inn, located in Schuylerville.Craig next worked as a food broker, after leaving the Inn.

Today Craig is the Dietetic Services Supervisor at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. Working in the Washington County Correctional Facility, he oversees day to day food service operations. His staff and he serve meals for the inmates in the jail as well as providing meals for the county wide Meals On Wheels program. In total they serve nearly one thousand meals per day.

The Meals on Wheels program has personal significance for Craig. As noted on the County Website, “Home delivered meals are provided to persons aged 60 and over who, based on an assessment, are unable to meet their daily nutritional needs. Hot meals are delivered Monday through Friday, frozen meals available for the weekend. There is a suggested donation of $2.00 per meal, however no one will be denied a meal if unable or unwilling to donate.”  Craig notes “I feel like the MOW program is really rewarding. I actually get a lot of feedback from people I know that get the meals. My grandmother got them in Argyle until she passed away and my wife's grandmother gets them now. So I get to hear the good and bad first hand.”

Asked about his experience at GCS, Craig remembers: “I left G.C.S with a strong sense of community. Being a small town school with a graduating class of less than one hundred people, I knew everyone and, in most cases, their families also. I think that in a larger school people sometimes get lost and don’t have the support that you get in a small town.”

In his junior year of high school, Craig began to crystallize his career plans. “I was in the G.C.S. work release program. Most of my early culinary education came during this time, when I worked for Steve Knopf at the White Swan Cafe in Greenwich.”

Asked about qualities necessary for success in his field, Craig notes: “To work in the food service industry, as in life, you need to realize that you are always learning something new. Also you have to have a strong sense of commitment. The food service industry isn’t for everyone- there are a lot of long hours and hard work required in order to be successful. In general, when the rest of the world is not working- nights, weekends and holidays- is when the most work is required in the foodservice business.”

In his spare time, Craig enjoys working on old Volkswagens. He has owned the same VW van since the mid-90s. Someday, he dreams of owning a beachfront restaurant in Mexico or the Caribbean.

Craig is the son of Barbara ((GCS ’72) and and Wayne Perkins (’63), of Greenwich. He lives in Easton with his wife, Meghan Phalen and three step-                                 Craig in Southern California 1995                                   children: Cait, Josh and Erin Johnston. Craig has two siblings: Peter Phalen (GCS ’89) and Jeremy Perkins ’02).

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