Dr. Billy Richardson was born in Channelview, Texas. He earned a BS, MS and PhD in plant physiology/biochemistry from Texas A&M University. He recently retired from government service after a distinguished career in which he served in numerous positions of increasing complexity, culminating in the position of Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense.

Dr. Richardson was charged with oversight of programs with an annual budget of $1.3 billion for chemical and biological warfare defense, chemical weapons destruction, and research, development, and U.S. compliance for arms control. Significant program initiatives involved demilitarization, close-out of offensive chemical weapons programs, removal of weapons from Europe, arms control, defense measures to support Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, and a host of others.

During his career, Dr. Richardson served as Program Executive Officer for Chemical/Nuclear; Technical Director for the Chemical Research, Development, and Engineering Center, U.S. Air Force Aerospace Medical Division and School of Aerospace Medicine and rose to the rank of Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.