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Bill Reed spent his career on the Grand Prairie, but he was raised in the Tennessee mountains. In retirement, he's aiming for even higher ground, at least metaphorically.
"I had a long-held desire to go to Dallas Theological Seminary for training," said Reed, who retired a month ago after 37 years at Riceland Foods in Stuttgart, finishing as senior vice president for corporate communications and public affairs.
"I once heard a conference speaker say that a guy who is 60 years old and in good health probably has 25 good years ahead," Reed told Arkansas Business. "And I thought, the folks working under me at Riceland are very good, ready to take over, and I'd been considering taking a leadership role at my church [Fellowship Bible Church in Little Rock, where he serves as an elder]. So I started online two years ago, and I'm about a quarter of the way" to a seminary degree.
He plans to knuckle down finish the degree, he said. "I've had a great career in agriculture, and I'm still hugely interested, but I want to spend more time helping make disciples who live by God's grace...