Jackson Associates' Margaret Hicks Dies

Margaret Feit, who as Margaret Hicks owned and ran US fieldwork firm Jackson Associates, died peacefully on Monday at the age of 66.

Margaret Hicks began her career in the marketing research industry in 1970 - first as an interviewer, recruiter and auditor, and later as a field director and research director.

In 1983, she acquired Atlanta-based Jackson Associates, which had been founded in 1957 by Marilyn Jackson.

Eleven years later, she opened a 20,000 square foot facility in Atlanta, and throughout the 1990s, she expanded the firm's presence across seven locations in the southeastern US, and re-focused its efforts on the qualitative arena.

She started having health issues in the early 2000's, and in 2006 sold the business to current CEO Marisa Pope, who describes her as a 'visionary', who was instrumental in transforming the design and functionality of qualitative research facilities throughout the research industry.

'Margaret was a mentor and a friend to many still working at Jackson Associates and in marketing research, and she will be missed', Pope added.

She is survived by her husband Mark Feit, her children Shelley and David and six grandchildren.

A celebration of her life is planned for Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA sometime next week - details will be announced on the Jackson Associates web site at www.jacksonassociates.com .