Ecleamus Ricks

Ecleamus Ricks

When Ecleamus Ricks, 62, retired from a career in public service, his intent was to relax and do some farming. But the social challenges surrounding him in Macon, Georgia, were too big to ignore, and so in 1997 he joined the Macon-Bibb County Health Department as an...
Robert Hildreth

Robert Hildreth

Growing up, Robert J. Hildreth knew the value of education. Raised by public school teachers, he earned degrees from three universities, including Harvard, and rose to prominence in Latin American finance with his own brokerage company. Hildreth also had a strong...
Ronne Froman

Ronne Froman

Ronne Froman’s transition from military to civilian life was relatively easy. The first woman to command the six-state southwest region of the U.S. Navy, she retired as a rear admiral in 2001 after a 31-year naval career. Then she quickly took on a series of executive...
Linda Johnson

Linda Johnson

Linda Johnson didn’t want to be another statistic. After retiring at age 60 in 2007 with 39 years of service in education – including 22 as an elementary school principal – Johnson struggled to reduce her adjustable rate mortgage from nearly 12...