Ronald Fearn “67”
Ronald retired in 2012 from Sara Lee Foods after 25 years of service following a span of over 40 years in the manufacturing sector during which he held various positions in warehousing, distribution, and inventory/materials management. In 1997, he was promoted to Materials Manager for Sara Lee’s newly constructed flagship manufacturing facility in Tarboro, NC and became a member of the senior leadership team. In that position, he was responsible for Receiving Warehouse, Production and labor Scheduling, Information Systems, Materials Planning, and Purchasing. He was also responsible for coordinating activities between United Refrigerated Services and the Sara Lee Facility. Previous positions with Sara Lee included Materials Planner for the operations group in Deerfield, IL with primary responsibilities for the purchase of ingredients and packaging components to meet production requirements; Inventory Control Supervisor with inventory reconciliation responsibilities for five production facilities and four major distribution warehouses; Senior Business Systems Analyst responsible for developing user requirements and providing quality assurance in the functional design of new business systems. Provide post conversion support for production and inventory management systems for headquarters, production facilities, and distribution centers.
Ronald, a native of Madison County/New Market, AL, graduated from Mt. Fork Jr High School in 1964 and graduated from Councill Training high School in 1967. Following graduation, he moved to Chicago, Il where he would later continue his education. He received an Associate Degree in Business from Malcolm X College in Chicago, IL where he served as Treasurer of the Student Government Association and as Coordinator for Phi Beta Lambda, a student organization of The Future Business leaders of America. He later graduated from National Louis University in Evanston, IL with a B.S. in Behavioral Science and Webster University in Northbrook, IL with a M.A. in Business.
Drafted into the United States Army in 1969, Ronald served in Vietnam along with duty in South Korea as a Communication Center Specialist. His military decorations include the National Defense Service medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. His civic engagements include serving as Chairman of the Athletic Association for St. Eulalia Jr High School in Maywood, IL and coaching girls’ volleyball. He served on the corporate Board of Directors for the Nash/Edgecombe County Boys and Girls Club of North Carolina and was a recipient of the Club’s ‘Distinguished Service Award’. Currently serving as chairman of the CTS Alumni Association Website Committee, Ronald still considers it an honor to have the opportunity to serve and participate.
Ronald and his wife Ruthie, whom he met in Chicago, have been blessed during their 47 years of marriage with three children, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Following retirement in 2012, Ronald was able to realize his dream of moving back to new Market where it all began! One of the many benefits of retirements for him is the increase in family interactions and having more time to devote to his extracurricular activities. He enjoys music, playing golf, and bowling, and he has bowled ABC/USBC sanctioned games of 299 and a perfect 300 game!