His professional career was in heavy construction. He served as president and co-owner of Constructors Pacific Company, a Seattle based heavy construction firm building public works projects in the Western U.S. including Alaska. He was involved in the building of bridges, dams, powerhouses, pipelines and tunnels. Richard received the Associate General Contractors Excellence in Construction Award in 1987. He has served as a consultant to the Government of China and the City of Portland. He used his position to provide temporary employment to many promising students as well as teachers on summer leave. On a few occasions Richard assisted entrepreneurs in establishing small minority business enterprises.

Richard has served on numerous boards of directors, including ten years at Crista Ministries, ten years at Seattle Youth Symphony, twenty three years at Sheldon Jackson College in Sitka, Alaska and twenty years at University of Washington Medical Center. He was also a Trustee for Sheldon Jackson and a founding member of the University of Washington Medical Center Cardiac Research Council, where he continues to serve.

Richard and his wife Gretchen have been members of Calvin Presbyterian Church in Shoreline and have actively supported the ministries of that church for fifty two years. They have sponsored several exchange students and raised funds for many missionaries, student mission interns, and musicians.

Richard was a founding member of the Ballard High School Foundation. He was instrumental in getting the greenhouse and the flagpole funded and built at Ballard High School. He was awarded Captain Ballard Award from the Ballard High School Foundation in 2003.