Rich previously worked as a wildlife biologist at Fort Carson’s Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeast Colorado until his retirement in 2025.  During his nearly 30 yrs of federal service, he was probably one of the few people that could say he worked for all 4 primary branches of the Armed Services.  Rich started his federal career in 1996 at Avon Park Air Force Bombing & Gunnery Range in south central Florida as a grazing manager and rangeland management specialist.  From there he moved on to the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton (CA) as the Land Management Branch Head where he managed the grazing leases, invasive plant species program, some endangered species and served as a resource advisor to the fire department.  After a short stop with the US Forest Service at the Comanche National Grassland in southeast Colorado, he became the Natural Resource Manager for naval facilities in Texas and Louisiana where he managed a hunting ranch for the Navy along the Mexican border, served as the Rx burn boss & coordinator, endangered species manager, and BASH advisor.  Prior to his retirement, Rich was the senior wildlife biologist at Fort Carson’s Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site for 15 years where he managed a very large hunting program on the 236,000 ac property, conducted wildlife surveys (herps are his favorite), did public outreach and mentoring and occasionally participated in Rx burns and wildland fires.

Rich has been a member of NMFWA since the early 2000’s, is a member of several NMFWA groups and has served as the Outdoor Recreation Working Group Chair and as well as an At-Large Board Member.  Rich earned BS degrees from North Carolina State University and an MS in Rangeland Ecology from Texas A&M.  Now that he is retired, Rich has more time for hunting, golfing, hiking, travelling and spending time with his teenage kids.