Realtor Regina Ragon is a woman of many pursuits but a single heart: helping others. She doesn’t believe in handouts, though, but hand-ups.
Growing up in Chattanooga, Ragon watched her parents give beyond measure to those in need. Their selflessness impacted her in a big way. “They were the most wonderful people in the world,” she says, leaning on hyperbole for effect, but only slightly. “There wasn’t a time when I didn’t see them giving, giving, giving to anyone they could. When other people would reject someone, they would welcome them with open arms and do what they could.”
Ragon’s Spanish teacher in high school sparked her interest in foreign languages, so when the time came for her to spread her wings and fly, she made it as far as King University in Bristol, Tenn, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages. Having fanned the spark into a flame, Ragon then went to the University of Georgia and acquired a master’s degree in Spanish American literature.
From there, Ragon taught for three years at LaFayette High School. Then she went back to school. Or rather, she went to seminary. “I wanted to become a preacher,” she says.
Ragon initially attended a Baptist seminary in Denver, Colo., but she was the only woman in a class with 90 men, and many of the men disagreed with her earning a Master of Divinity, so she went down the street to a Methodist seminary, Iliff School of Theology, which was more open to women entering the ministry.
Five years later, Ragon returned home to preach, but it was not to be, so she went back to teaching, this time at Dalton High School. She’s still there, teaching Spanish to native speakers. Her interest in teaching Hispanics about their own language, much like Americans take English, opened an unexpected door.
“I wanted to find out why everyone was desperate to come here, so I went with a group to Nicaragua,” she says, a Spanish accent coming out as she says “Nicaragua.”
Something about the trip, however, struck a sour chord with Ragon. “I didn’t like the attitude of the people I was with; they saw themselves as a bunch of super Americans going down to Nicaragua to give away a bunch of stuff, and expected the lives of the people there to become better as a result,” she says. “Maybe giving dolls and lollipops to kids was making them feel better, but it wasn’t doing anything for the Nicaraguans.”
To find out what the people in Nicaragua needed, Ragon began speaking with them. What she found out didn’t surprise her: they wanted the same things people everywhere want – food, shelter, and medical care. Instead of handing them these things, however, she set out to help them help themselves by forming Latin American Community Development (LACD), a nonprofit organization.
Through LACD, Ragon gathered the resources needed to build homes and medical clinics, start youth sports leagues, and provide scholarships. (She uses the royal “we” when talking about LACD, but LACD is essentially her and anyone she can encourage to contribute.) She also started the Sewing Seeds project, a way for men and women in a small community near Masatepe to earn a living by drilling holes in seeds, which they then use to make jewelry. Previously, their only income came from recycling plastic bottles.
“The communities there had learned to wait for Americans to come help them,” Ragon says. “By helping them to begin a business they sustain, LACD offers dignity.”
Ragon travels to Nicaragua a few times a year to gather the products the people there make, and then she returns to the U.S. and sells everything. She then sends all of the money back to the people who made the goods. (LACD keeps none of the money; everything goes back to the person who made the jewelry or dresses.)
Ragon is especially proud of how her fellow Realtors have supported LACD. “Prudential, Crye-Leike, and the entire Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors have become part of this project by allowing me to come to their offices, speak about LACD, and then sell the things the people made,” she says. “Realtors are about building better communities, no matter where, and agents throughout Chattanooga are helping people in Latin America to live better lives.”
Ragon’s efforts are not wholly focused across national borders; she also helps people in her hometown. Her foray into real estate was partly motivated by her desire to help Hispanics claim a big part of the American dream: home ownership.
“A friend who was in real estate suggested I look into it because a lot of Hispanics were wanting to buy a home,” she says.
Operating out of Prudential RealtyCenter.com in Ft. Oglethorpe, Ragon assists buyers and sellers in Tennessee and Georgia, many of whom are Hispanic. “I love helping first-time buyers, especially those who are scared of taking that step, or are throwing away their money on rent,” she says. “Helping someone to make a good investment that can change their life for the better is exciting.”
Ragon forms relationships with potential clients over the years as she teaches them in high school and in Spanish classes at UTC. Once they trust her, they look to her to help them make the big decisions. She doesn’t take this trust lightly, but works hard, and with integrity, on their behalf. As a result, she’s started to attract referrals and repeat business.
“A father came to the U.S. 15 years before his wife and children could move here,” she says. “He did everything the legal way – he worked hard, saved money, and was eventually able to purchase a nice home in Dalton for his family and bring them up. Recently, I found his daughter a place on Lee Highway for a beauty salon.”
Over time, the Hispanics with whom Ragon associates began asking her legal questions. There was just one thing for Ragon, who’d already spent 11 years in postsecondary education, to do: become a lawyer. Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School got the nod.
“That was the hardest thing I’ve done,” she says. “I’d finish work at 4 p.m., drive to Atlanta, and take classes for three-and-a-half hours,” she says. “But I wanted to help my students and their families. I could see they were good, hard working people who wanted their family to have a better life.”
Although Ragon prefers to work under the radar, her efforts to do good did not go unseen. In 2009, the National Association of Realtors honored her with its Good Neighbor Award, which recognizes Realtors who have made an extraordinary impact on their community, or on the national or world stage, through volunteer work. The award came with a $10,000 grant, which LACD used to complete work on a medical clinic. In addition, Ragon's photo appeared on the front of Realtor Magazine.
Ragon says she has a good life. She lives on the farm her family purchased before the Civil War, and enjoys her dog and chickens. She also preaches from time to time, so her years in seminary weren’t a complete wash. Beyond that, her work and nonprofit keep her busy.
But whatever Ragon is doing, her heart is focused on one thing: improving lives. “Happiness comes from helping others,” she says. “When you’re self-focused, you’re never satisfied.”
For more photos, pick up a copy of the Hamilton County Herald.