Bill Ricks lives in Lexington, Virginia with his wife Pam and has been a member of the Lexington Sunrise Rotary Club since April 2004. He has served as the International Director from 2004 –2008, Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms, and has been in charge of Balloon Operations for the Annual Fourth of July Celebration since 2007, for which the Sunrise Club named him a Paul Harris Fellow in 2009. He has hosted incoming GSE team members.
Born in Lodi, California, Bill moved with his family to Queen Creek, Arizona where he grew up on a cotton farm and was valedictorian of his high school. A National Merit Scholar, he graduated from California Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1964 and from the University of Arkansas with a Master of Science in Management in 1974.After graduation, he completed US Air Force pilot training and served 10 years as a fighter pilot in the F-105 and the F-4, flying Viet Nam combat tours in both aircraft. Following Armed Forces Staff College, he served five years at the Pentagon in Washington D.C. As an F-15 Squadron Commander at Kadena Air Base, Japan, his 44th Vampire Squadron won the Hughes Trophy as the best Fighter Squadron in the Air Force for FY 1982 and also was awarded the only Outstanding given to a fighter squadron by the Pacific Air Forces Management Effectiveness Team in that year.
After serving on the Pacific Air Forces Staff in Hawaii, he was promoted to Colonel, graduated from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and was Director of Operations for two Fighter Wings. Retiring in August 1987, with over 23 years service, he had flown nearly 4,000 hours in fighter aircraft.
After retirement, Bill was hired by American Airlines and was based in Washington D.C. and Miami domiciles, flying mainly international routes for 15 years. He holds type ratings in the Boeing-727, B-737, Air Bus-300, and B-757/767. He received the Daedalian Civilian Airmanship Award in 1997 for a flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina involving multiple in flight emergencies and retired as a Captain on his 60th birthday: 19 August 2002.
Bill and his wife Pam have four children and one spoiled dog, Bingo. Jan (Civil Engineer) and her husband have one son, age 20. Jill (a retired flight attendant) and her husband have two children aged 13 and 15. Jennifer (Human Resources V.P.) is unmarried. The “caboose”, Brian, (Water Resources Engineer) and his wife have a dog.
Bill and Pam enjoy playing bridge, travel, genealogy, wine tasting and living in the home they built in the most beautiful state in the USA.
