About Richard Willich
Early Life & European Roots
The chairman and CEO of MDI Holdings in Ponte Vedra, Florida, Richard Willich was born in 1942, the middle son of a Serbian steelworker and a Scottish-Irish mother who worked as a waitress. Growing up in a tough neighborhood of South Chicago known as “Slag Valley,” Willich began working summers at the Republic Steel Mill when he was 16. While he was learning the value of a dollar, he also earned local fame as an All-City running back and captain of his high school football team.
Ripon College & the Marine Corps
After graduating from high school in 1960, Willich enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Officer Candidate School program and, with the help of an athletic scholarship, enrolled as a freshman at Ripon College in Wisconsin. He graduated from Ripon in 1964 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Corps in 1965. He went on to serve as an infantry platoon leader in Vietnam, where he received a Purple Heart and earned several medals for valor in combat.
Willich served in the Marine Corps Reserves for 30 years and retired in 1990, having achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In addition, he served on the board of the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation from 1988 to 2002 and was Chairman of the Board of the Marine Corps Reserve Association in 2005. (For more details, see the Patriotism and Philanthropy pages.)
Dow Industries & Public Service
Following his service in Vietnam, Willich earned a master’s degree in finance from Pepperdine University and attended Western State University Law School. He also earned his private pilot’s license in 1978 and was already a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization in 1982 when he founded Dow Industries, a design builder of medical facilities. By 1985, Dow would be ranked by Inc. magazine as the nation’s 11th fastest-growing private company.
After selling Dow Industries in 1986, Willich joined the Board of Trustees of Ripon College and participated in several special projects for the U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Trade Security Policy. He was a founding member of the Health Advisory Committee for the newly independent States of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Historical Research & Activities
An avid student of history, Willich has served as a gubernatorial appointee on several historic restoration projects in Virginia, including the Stone House at Manassas and Robert E. Lee’s boyhood home. His extensive Civil War library includes historical treasures such as a first edition of the Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant, and he was instrumental in the re-publication of Frederick Tilp’s classic This Was Potomac River.
Since establishing MDI’s business headquarters in Ponte Vedra, Florida, in 2003, Willich has conducted exhaustive research into the history of St. Johns County. His local history collection includes original photographs and works of art, and he has contributed generously to the preservation of regional landmarks such as the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
MDI Holdings & Grace Farms
Willich founded Medical Development International (MDI) in 1992, based on his belief that cutting-edge information technology could reduce unnecessary health insurance costs. He was right, and MDI has grown into a $200 million holding company. MDI companies provide services to a wide range of commercial and government customers. MDI Holdings has its headquarters on 30 acres in Nocatee, a community in Ponte Vedra, Florida, halfway between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
Reflecting his lifelong love of animals and the outdoors, Willich also established Grace Farms, a 30-acre company retreat complete with thoroughbred horses. His other farm, Picalata, is the 110-acre home to the top one percent of Registered Aberdeen Black Angus cattle in the state of Florida.
Philanthropy & Family
A passionate American patriot and tireless advocate for young people, Richard Willich’s personal, professional and philanthropic philosophy is straightforward: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it improve things? This philosophy has led to his extensive educational and historical preservation activities, and it guides his ongoing support of positive youth development efforts (more on the Philanthropy page).
Since moving to St. Johns County, Willich has turned his attention particularly to local causes. Beneficiaries of his generosity range from the Rodeheaver Boys Ranch, Police Athletic League and St. Johns County public schools, to the St. Augustine Lighthouse and the Ponte Vedra Bird Island Park.
Willich is the father of three adult children, Christine, Ted and Julie, and seven grandchildren. He is also the loving guardian of Gracie and Eli the 130-pound Monster Dog, who prove daily that golden retrievers are sometimes as mischievous as they are beautiful!