John Riche Fellows
The John Riche Fellows program recognizes outstanding African-American leaders who reflect the qualities of the late John Riche, one of our founding members: leadership, commitment to community service, and respect for diversity.
Established in 2005, the program invites Fellows to join the Committee of 100 for two years. Fellows attend all Committee meetings, hear from the same speakers and briefings as our members, and are paired with an experienced member as a mentor.
Current Fellows
About John Riche
John Riche
Founding Member, Visionary Leader, and Legacy Builder
March 23, 1938 – May 27, 2004
Early Life and Career
John Riche was born on March 23, 1938, and became a longtime Huntsville businessman, civic leader, and active member of First Missionary Baptist Church. He built his career in defense contracting with AC, Incorporated, rising to the presidency of the company before he retired in December 2000. Riche was a founding member of the Huntsville Committee of 100, its only minority founder, and a founding member of the local chapter of 100 Black Men of America, laying an early foundation for the leadership development and mentorship work both organizations are known for today.
A Builder of Boards
Riche seemed to serve on nearly every board and committee Huntsville had to offer. Beyond the Committee of 100, where he later chaired the board of directors, he sat on the BizTech board, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce board, the AmSouth Bank board (before it became Regions), the UAH Advisory Council and College of Business Advisory Council, the Madison County Executive Airport Authority board, the Arts Council and the Huntsville Museum of Art, the Alabama A&M Industry Cluster and Business Advisory Board, and AUSA. He was a past president of the Kiwanis Club and of Big Brothers Big Sisters, held a lifetime membership in the Mag Seven, and was a graduate of Leadership Alabama, Class Ten. Alabama A&M University awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Humanities in recognition of that lifetime of service.
Character and Leadership
What set Riche apart wasn't just the length of that list. It was why he kept adding to it. He believed good competition made everyone stronger, and he led by elevating the people around him, always weighing what was best for the community rather than for himself. Known for his impeccable dress and his bold, direct style of leadership, he was a straight shooter who never wasted words. He would tell you exactly what he thought, but in a way that let you walk away still friends even if you disagreed. Colleagues who served alongside him on various boards remember him as a great mentor, generous and unpretentious, someone whose honesty and clarity earned deep respect wherever he went. His career was marked by quiet courage, vision, and a relentless commitment to building a better future for Huntsville.
Family
That same generosity showed up at home. When his son's young marriage ended, Riche and his wife opened their arms to their twin granddaughters, welcoming them to Huntsville and helping raise them. What was meant to be a temporary arrangement while their parents got settled became a permanent one, and the girls grew up close to their grandparents even as one eventually moved away and later returned to build her own career and life in the city he loved. He was a kind man and a gentle man, the kind of grandfather who escorted one twin at her debutante ball while her father escorted the other. He never explained why he served on so many boards and committees; the example was the lesson. His belief in giving back to the community shaped the next generation of his own family, including a granddaughter who went on to a career in public service, first with the Huntsville Housing Authority and later with the City of Huntsville.
Legacy
Riche passed away on May 27, 2004, but Huntsville has not let him go. More than two decades later, people still stop his family members to share a story about how much they miss him, and how great a man he was. In 2005, the Committee of 100 established the John R. Riche Scholar Program, later renamed the John Riche Fellows, to identify and develop African-American leaders who share his commitment to leadership, community service, and respect for diversity. The program remains a living tribute to a man who spent his life proving that influence, used well, is really just another word for service.