Throughout his nearly 45 years’ of experience in public and private accounting, Craighead’s dedicated work ethic has been the cornerstone of his accomplishments as both an Indiana business leader and active member of the community.  A lifelong Hoosier, Craighead was born in Fort Wayne and educated at St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Accounting.  In his early career, he was a staff accountant at a large CPA firm, an assistant to the controller at a manufacturing entity, and a senior staff accountant and owner at a local CPA firm. He originally founded CLH, CPAs & Consultants three decades ago as Craighead and Company, P.C., with a small team of himself, his wife Pat Craighead, and an assistant. Today, the firm has grown to include a full suite of professional services with a staff of 35 individuals across two offices in Michigan City and Valparaiso and a satellite office in Angola. CLH is also looking forward to opening a third staffed office in La Porte in the summer of 2022.

“John is an outstanding example of a true Indiana success story – a hard-working and committed professional who has always cared deeply about our clients, our dedicated employees, and the community that has enabled CLH to thrive,” said Robert Lange, III, CPA and Managing Partner of CLH. “Over the years under John’s leadership, we’ve seen not only CLH grow, but also dozens of our clients’ companies benefit from his guidance and his role as a trusted advisor across the spectrum of services the firm offers.”

Tony Gillisse, CPA and Partner of CLH, added, “In my 10 years with CLH, I have seen firsthand how John’s devotion to his craft has helped us develop such an incredibly talented team.  His mentorship to me and the rest of our staff is invaluable.  I’m excited to see what the future holds for us.”  Remarked Lynn Duttlinger, CPA and Senior Director at CLH, “John is leaving to CLH a lasting legacy of integrity, commitment, and dedication that is unmatched.  I am honored to be a torch bearer of his principled leadership that will be upheld by the continuing generations of CLH.”

Craighead responded, “When I look back from where we started to where we are now, I have such gratitude for the people who put their faith in me from the beginning.  From my wife, who took on an enormous risk and supported me and our family in this venture, to our banker who provided the necessary capital to begin the firm, to the countless professionals along this 30-year journey whose prowess helped make the firm efficient and effective.  I am especially grateful to my two business partners of 20 years, Bob Lange and Linda Hough, who invested their time and talents to grow the small company into the vibrant firm it is today, and to our employees, whose dependability and dedication to excellent client service has grown the firm in ways I never expected.  I am beyond proud to have had such an incredible team of people alongside me all these years.”

Craighead is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a certified valuation analyst (CVA), and is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Indiana and Illinois State CPA Societies, and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Outside of his professional work, Craighead has also been an active leader in the Northwest Indiana community throughout the course of his career.  John dedicated 27 years of volunteer service to the Portage Township YMCA, serving in a range of roles, including as a member of the board of directors and as president of the board for two terms.  Craighead was recognized locally for his volunteerism, twice receiving the United Way Agency Volunteer Award in 1993 and 2005.  Additionally, in 2006 he received the Greater Portage Chamber of Commerce Humanitarian of the Year Award, and in 2010 Craighead was the recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Porter County Community Foundation.