Richard has devoted much of his career to public service, with more than 30 years experience in land use planning, public policy, and community development.  He served as the Manhattan Planning Director for eight years, and the Executive Director of the NYC Department of City Planning for 12 years under Mayor Bloomberg. He was recently selected as one of the 50 over 50 distinguished leaders who have made a difference in New York City.

Richard has been instrumental in facilitating significant office, residential, cultural, and community facility development in all five boroughs. Some of his major achievements include guiding the creation of the Hudson Yards District on Manhattan’s West Side, revitalization plans for Lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, the Greenpoint/Williamsburg rezoning, and comprehensive amendments to strengthen the Broadway theater industry.

Richard is currently serving as a senior advisor to Capalino, a leading urban strategy and government relations firm in New York City.  In addition to serving on the SHARE Board, he is also a board member of the Citizens Housing Planning Council, and on the zoning committee of the Real Estate Board of New York. Richard is an avid fingerstyle acoustic guitarist, and in his free time you can find him gardening with his wife, Irene.

He has a B.S. from Cornell University, and earned a Masters of Public Administration from Baruch College.