One of your real Neighbors!

Born to sharecroppers in rural North Carolina, Rick knows the joys and struggles of working to achieve the American dream. His father was a veteran of WWII and the Korean War. During WWII, his mother made ammunition and afterwards worked the graveyard shift in spinning mills.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Rick joined the Army at age 17 and served three tours in Vietnam. After his career in the army, Rick returned to school and earned a B.A. in Political Science thanks to financial assistance from a small ministerial scholarship and his G.I. Bill. After graduation in 1979, Rick took a job at a Wrangler plant in Hackleburg, Alabama that resulted in a 35-year career in the apparel industry. During his employment at the plant, Rick met his wife, Judy, who worked alongside him in apparel.

Rick and Judy have been blessed with three children, five grandchildren, and four great-granddaughters. Rick has spent most of his adult life in the apparel business and as an international businessman and negotiator. He recently returned to school, earning a MBA and graduate certification in Project Management from the University of North Alabama.