PROFILE OF DR. NATHANIEL R. RICHARDSON

DR. NATHANIEL R. RICHARDSON

EARLY CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION

Dr. Nathaniel Reginald Richardson was born on March 8, 1946, at the Maternity Center in Monrovia. His parents were Nathaniel and Edith Richardson. He obtained his kindergarten and elementary education in Monrovia thereafter spending 6 years in school in England. He returned home in 1963 and graduated two years later from the Laboratory High School, renamed Tubman High School in the late 60's.

Dr. Richardson attended the University of Liberia, earned a BSc in Geology in 1971 from the Western Michigan University, an MSc in Geophysics in 1973 from Michigan State University and a PhD from Purdue University, Indiana, USA.

PAST WORK EXPERIENCE

Dr. Richardson returned home and joined the professional staff of the Liberia Geological Survey in 1978 where he was shortly thereafter appointed its Director. He retained that post until late 1980, when he resigned to form Geoservices, Inc., his own mineral exploration and water development company. Dr. Richardson is very knowledgeable about Liberia's natural resources and their potential impact on the economic development of Liberia.

During the civil war which started 1989, Dr. Richardson was forced to flee Monrovia like thousands of other Liberians and was internally displaced; first in Fendell, then Bong Mines, and finally at Cari in Bong County where he got involved in distributing food to children and other displaced people.

Dr. Richardson worked between 1991-1992, he served as President of Liminco and again in the same capacity between 1997-1999.

Other significant work experiences include operation of a natural resource exploration venture called Resources Development Company (RDC) with his geophysicist friend, Mr. Cletus Wotorson. Dr. Richardson has also served on the Faculty of the University of Liberia as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Geology.

PRESENT WORK

Dr. Richardson is one of a handful of very successful Liberian entrepreneurs. He is presently President of Amlib United Minerals, a mineral exploration company with mineral properties in several counties.

He is also President and founder of Geoservices Inc. Water Division which drills water wells across the country and Geoservices Scrap Division, which has the contract from the GOL to salvage and scrap the former Bong Mines facilities that were destroyed during the war. Geoservices purchased trains and reactivated the railroad to support its Bong Mine operation. That community is served for the first time by the passenger and freight services it established. Other projects in the area of agriculture are growing seed rice for distribution to local farmers, and plantains and cassava production to start a processing operation. Geoservices is starting a program to stock some of the numerous lakes in Bong Mines with fish for fish farming. In addition to these agricultural programs Geoservices will soon be reactivating one of the two rock crushers in Bong Mines, which were massively looted during the war, to supply crush rock for the railroad and for the construction market in and around Monrovia.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION AND POLITICAL AMBITION

Dr. Richardson is a member of the Bethel World Outreach Ministries International. He is married and has five children. In 2003 he joined the Liberian Action Party where he presently serves as Chairman of its Montserrado County branch. He is presently a candidate for one of the Senatorial seats of Montserrado County in the upcoming General and Presidential elections in October 2005.

PUBLIC SERVICE CONTRIBUTION

Dr. Richardson serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations. These include: The Monrovia Bible Training College, Chairman; The Liberian Organization for Good Governance (LOGG), Chairman/President; The National Youth Services & Development Corp. (NYSDC), Founder and Chairman; Mercy Corps, Director; The Liberian Bank for Development and Investment (LBDI), Director and Cuttington University College, Director.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

Dr. Richardson is a member of Rotary International, a service organization that meets social needs worldwide. He also contributes monthly to several orphanages in and around Monrovia, several schools and churches in and outside of Monrovia and he also supports a large number of scholarship students attending varieties of academic institutions throughout Liberia.

He is an avid sports enthusiast, having once served as President of the Mighty Barrolle Sports Association and a founder of the Pythons Basketball Team. He was also one of Liberia's best track athletes serving as captain of the University of Liberia track team in 1968.

Dr. Richardson's Philosphy and Vision for Liberia

Dr. Richardson believes that each Liberian has an obligation to work to make Liberia a better place than they met it. He feels that there is no room for "fence sitters", as one is either for progress or against it. He further believes that "no one but us", working sincerely and diligently together will build this nation using the abundant natural and human resources which God has blessed Liberia with. He believes the time has now come when all Liberians must "Stand up for Liberia" so she can regain her dignity.

His vision can best be summarized in a statement he made on March 8th, 2005 when he announced his candidacy for a Montserrado Senatorial seat. He said, he is getting into politics to enable him "to work with others of like values, to right the helm of our ship of State, so that we can begin to govern ourselves in a manner which would bring peace, honor, integrity, respectability, accountability and thereby prosperity to our people, and respect among the community of Nations".

View Pictures from Nat's Funeral Services and Repast

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