Ronald Holder:  

I'm encouraged to write a story after reading a fellow classmates' story a few minutes ago. After graduating GHS in '73, I attended USC and earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business in 1977 and a Masters in 1979. My first job was with the public accounting firm of Arthur Young & Company (now Ernst & Young, LLP) and my principal audit client was Lockheed. After a promotion to Audit Manager in 1984, Lockheed hired me as a Controller and 6 months later was made a Director of Finance at the tender age of 27. I had a wonderful career with Lockheed, then Lockheed Martin which included a two-year stint in Bethesda, MD helping merge Financial Systems. My career with Lockheed Martin ended at the Skunk Works in Palmdale, CA where I was a Controller for Advanced Programs. The company made some amazing reconnaissance aircraft such as the U-2, SR-71, F-117 and F-35. The highlight there was witnessing the last flight of the SR-71 as it roared past the facility at Plant 42 where I worked. To think that we manufactured that airplane in 1962 and it made it from the edge of the West Coast to the edge of the East Coast in 58 minutes still boggles my mind! After Lockheed Martin, I worked for Northrop Grumman Corp...Expand for more