Doing the Right Thing

“Doing

Alumnus Ernest T. “E.T.” Lopez III attended RMA for three years and graduated in 1984. He has maintained ongoing communication with his high school football and wrestling coach, Errol Bisso, who has been a father figure and mentor for 37 years since graduation. Admittedly, Lopez says he was not the best student and didn’t earn the rank that others had, but the lessons he learned at RMA have served him well.

Lopez learned the asphalt and paving business from the father of an RMA classmate; that was his first job after graduation. His second job was with Atlanta Paving & Concrete Construction, which is one of several businesses that he owns today.

As a member of RMA’s Board of Trustees, he chairs the Buildings and Grounds Committee, and was recently recognized as the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus.

At the Distinguished Alumni Pinning Ceremony President Staś Preczewski touted E.T.s support...

Donna & Ernest T. Lopez III

the Right Thing”

“E.T. is the epitome of a philanthropist. He is known all over our campus for generously giving his time, talent, & treasure to RMA. Whether identifying capital needs to maintain RMA’s infrastructure; making repairs caused by erosion; operating a piece of equipment to re-surface parking lots; or making generous financial contributions to scholarships, programs, or capital projects, he leads by example and finds joy in giving back to his alma mater.”

The Experience

Lopez enrolled in RMA his sophomore year of high school. When asked what brought him to RMA, he said, “I grew up an Army brat; my family lived all over Europe, then California and multiple bases around the U.S. My father was an airborne ranger, a green beret, who served four tours in Vietnam. At home, I was living with ’Rambo’, and I thought attending RMA would surely be easier.”

But RMA wasn’t easy. The first year is always the toughest. It meant having to start over and prove himself again. He wanted to come home, but his parents refused. At RMA, he found the hall officers, coaches, teachers, and military leaders to be inspirational. “They all wanted you to ’do the right thing’. You were respected when you did the right thing, and when you didn’t, they expected you to deal with the ramifications,” Lopez recalls. “We were taught to be tenacious, persevere, and never quit.”

The Investment

“I’ve never thought of myself as a philanthropist,” said Lopez. “Donna and I made a conscious decision to give back because of my admiration for the school; she has just as much commitment to RMA and now we are teaching that to our adult children who also want to get involved.”

The Reward

Lopez acknowledges that there are many alumni who may not realize the difference they can make by getting involved. “I don’t think they understand the reward they would receive by giving other kids the same opportunity we had. Not everybody seizes the opportunity, but if you don’t, you are missing out.”