A hometown boy with a world of experience, Richard will bring the change we need to Louisiana state government.

Richard loved growing up in Mandeville. Back then, traffic wasn’t as bad, and even without all the shopping centers there was still plenty to do. He was a member of the first graduating class of Pontchartrain Elementary. As an Eagle Scout with Troop 119, Richard spent a lot of time fighting mosquitos in the woods of south Louisiana. He was valedictorian of Mandeville High and voted most likely to succeed. A lifelong Republican, he cast his first vote at Mandeville High.

Richard earned a degree in Biological Engineering from LSU before attending LSU Law School. He graduated at the top of his class in both. He was selected for the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and moved to Washington right after graduation. As a Security Engineering Officer and a diplomat, he was responsible for protecting embassies overseas from terrorism and espionage. Richard and his wife, Ashley, were luckily posted to Frankfurt, Germany, for their first overseas assignment.

While living in Germany, Richard worked across Europe but also volunteered to lead projects in war-torn countries in the Middle East. His next two-year assignment was to the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia. After returning to Washington, D.C., Richard went to work again where he was needed most: managing security projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan. For his work, he was named Engineer of the Year.

Just months before their next overseas assignment, Richard had the opportunity to move his family home to Mandeville. He became Executive Vice President of PMOLink, a consulting firm based on the Mandeville Lakefront. They moved back into the same neighborhood he grew up in and started attending Christ Episcopal Church in Covington. Having returned home, Richard is committed to improving the opportunity for his three sons, Michael, Arthur, and Jack, and for all the citizens of this great state.