DR. RICHARD THOMAS REES, 69
Professor
LAKELAND - Dr. Richard Thomas Rees, 69, of Lakeland, FL died Friday, May 25, 2007 at Tampa General Hospital from heart failure.
Born in Kingston, PA on Jan. 4, 1938, he was a 1955 graduate of Kingston High School and served in the U. S. Marine Corps. Dr. Rees held a Bachelor of Science degree from Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, with a major in history and a minor in English. He also held a master's degree and doctorate in Educational Administration from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. Following a career as a high school teacher, coach and administrator, he spent ten years as a professor at Montclair State University and Wilkes University.
Since 1980, Dr. Rees was involved in health care human resource education and development. He was president of Rees and Associates, Inc., a private consulting firm centering on learning technology, leadership development, team development and educational efficiencies especially in small to mid-sized organizations.
Throughout his career, Dr. Rees developed education programming including continuing medical education, continuing clinical education, in-service education, patient education, community education, non-clinical training and the production of multi-media interactive courseware for training purposes.
In addition, he has implemented several comprehensive education and training processes to support major organizational restructuring through multi-skilling, leadership development and team development.
In addition, Dr. Rees led over 350 seminars centering on management and organizational issues. He was a presenter at numerous national and regional meetings including the American Society for Health Care Education and Training, the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education, the American Society for Training and Development, and the National Federation of Urban and Suburban School Districts. He conducted workshops for the leadership teams of numerous leading health care and business organizations such as AT&T, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Florida Chamber of Commerce. As an adjunct professor for Nova Southeastern University, Dr. Rees taught doctoral level courses in organizational theory and behavior and human resource development, he also published numerous articles in leading research and professional journals. He is co-author of The Successful Leadership Development Program: How to Build It and How to Keep it Going: published by Pfeiffer/Wiley in June 2006. Further, Dr. Rees served as an organizational development and restructuring consultant to several major healthcare organizations across the country.
Finally, he held the distinction of "Fellow, Health Care Education" through the Action for Professional Excellence Program of the American Hospital Association.
He is survived by his wife Linda Weatherill Rees, son, David William Rees and wife Donna Rees, daughter, Diane Lynne Rees Mikolon and husband Mark Mikolon, all of Lakeland, FL, mother, Anne Rees, sister, Margaret A. Fetch of Kingston, PA, brother, Morgan R. Rees of Naples, FL. and Tiffin, Ohio; also two grandsons, Austyn Rees Mikolon, and Dylan John Mikolon of Lakeland, FL. and several nieces and nephews. He's predeceased by his father, William A. Rees and brother, David A. Rees.
A Memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at North Lakeland Presbyterian Church, 6725 N. Socrum Loop Road. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements by Gentry-Morrison Funeral Home, Northside Chapel.
BERNARD MASTERS, 73
