Ronald J. Manheimer is executive director of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (NCCCR), an award-winning lifelong learning, leadership, research, and community service program of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he also holds an appointment as Research Associate Professor of Philosophy. In 1999, Manheimer was elected a Fellow of the University of North Carolina Institute on Aging, headquartered at Chapel Hill. Before becoming the NCCCR's first director in 1988, Manheimer was director of older adult education for The National Council on the Aging (NCOA) in Washington, D.C.

Manheimer is trained in philosophy with a Ph.D. from the Board of Studies in History of Consciousness, University of California, Santa Cruz. His first book, Kierkegaard As Educator (University of California Press, 1977), explored the Danish philosopher and theologian’s stages of human development. Manheimer has taught at Wayne State University, the University of California, Santa Cruz, San Diego State University, The Evergreen State College, UNC-Asheville, and the Smithsonian.

Manheimer has combined scholarly and practical interests through developing educational programs for retirement-aged people in colleges, universities, libraries, senior centers, nursing homes and retirement communities. He has published numerous studies investigating philosophical issues of later life and human development, including his newest book, A Map to the End of Time: Wayfarings with Friends and Philosophers (Norton, 1999), and information and resource volumes such as the Older Americans Almanac: A Reference Work on Seniors in the United States (Gale Research, Inc., 1994), The Second Middle Age: Looking Differently at Life Beyond 50 (Visible Ink Press, 1995), and Older Adult Education: A Guide to Research, Policies and Programs (Greenwood Press, 1995). Manheimer has worked as contributing editor to Creative Retirement magazine, publishes in Where to Retire magazine and, recently, in the Wall Street Journal. He is active in national aging organizations. Manheimer is also active as a consultant to communities seeking to attract retirees as an aspect of economic development.

Artists, Retirement, Literary Education,