When Charles Watkin, Quality Manager at POET Bioprocessing – Corning, talks about life, the theme that comes up again and again is service. That commitment was never clearer than when he and his daughters joined the Appalachia Service Project (ASP), a nonprofit that repairs and modifies homes for low-income families in rural Central Appalachia.
Charles’ daughters Charlotte and Charleze first went on an ASP mission trip, and their stories inspired him to get involved. In 2025, he and his son, Roman, joined them on a trip to serve families in need.
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Charles and his daughters, Charlotte and Charleze
“These families inspired me so much,” he said. “My daughters encouraged me to come because they really enjoyed going last year. As parents, sometimes we see our children’s lives through their eyes. I got to see a part of my children that was incredibly inspiring: their work ethic and the love they have for others.”
ASP has been in operation since 1969, bringing more than 15,000 volunteers from all over the country to Appalachia each year to provide critical repairs for more than 350 families. “It’s a wonderful organization based on hard work and love for one another,” he said.
For Charles, giving back has always been connected to his family and his work at POET. He’s been with the company since its startup in Corning, Iowa, in 2007, first as an operator before working his way to his current role as quality manager.
“I’m an original startup team member with POET – Corning,” he said. “That position allowed me to see the process of our work from beginning to end, to see the result of a harvest and the conversion of starch into accessible energy that Americans could use in their vehicles or use as coproducts to feed livestock.”
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Scott Sawtelle and Charles outside of POET Bioprocessing – Corning
In his 18 years at POET, Charles has had mentors who pushed him to grow and recognized his potential. Now, he takes pride in doing the same for others.
“Our leadership empowers their team members with protocols, and this is beneficial because training and trust allowed me to grow and prosper exponentially,” he said.
Scott Sawtelle, General Manager at POET Bioprocessing – Corning, agrees. “Charles’ expertise is diverse,” he said. “He utilizes that knowledge around the plant to help us continually improve.”
He and his wife Mary met in high school and have been “sweethearts” since then. They have five children — Charlene, James, Charlotte, Charleze, and Roman — and over the years, Charles has been able to support his family through the career he loves. POET has given him opportunities to be present in their lives, and for them to see what goes on in his work life and learn from his growth there.
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Charles with his family in front of POET Bioprocessing – Corning
“We have always encouraged our children to believe that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said. “Whenever POET has a family or community event, my wife and children are there to support me and learn what I do each day to provide for them. They especially love the plant tours and seeing what goes on in a day at POET.”
The opportunities for Charles’ family to see him at work go the other way too, as Charles has been able to be involved in his children’s activities, including homeschool projects, 4-H, sports, work on the family’s acreage, small business ventures, and service opportunities like ASP.
Charles’ dedication to service is also deeply personal. When his daughter Charlotte was born with Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare metabolic disorder, he and his family became advocates to raise awareness and funding for treatment and research.
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Today, his children have followed in their father’s leadership footsteps by becoming entrepreneurs; James started Watkin Excavation, and Charlene runs Watkin Barn Quilts — both ventures that Charles proudly supports. “Our life journey has taught us empathy and love for others,” he said. “Because of the family life we chose and my steady job at POET, our family has been able to adventure into many different aspects of business and talents. We have always worked together to support one another.”
For Charles, ASP is just one chapter in a bigger story: a life defined by adventure, hard work, and service to others.
