Rick was born in a small Bavarian town in Rosenheim Germany.  He was an Austrian Citizen at birth.  His mother being single and unable to care for him placed him in an orphanage in a small town named Egstaat in the Bavarian Alps.  Rick’s mother married an US Army Soldier when Rick was 3½ years of age and they decided to take him out of the orphanage and raise him together. Rick became a Naturalized Citizen as a young man. He mainly lived in Germany until 1976 when he and his family moved to Fort Riley Kansas.  Rick graduated Junction City High School in Junction City Kansas in 1978.  After graduation, Rick joined the US Air Force and served as an Avionics Specialist on Fighters and B-52’s.

In 2009, after the urging of friends and neighbors, Rick decided to run for City Council and make what he felt was a positive change in our city government. Many residents felt that Englewood had a “Good-Ole-Boy” network on the City level and Rick wanted to dispel that myth by running and becoming a City Councilman and representing the constituents of District #4.   Rick had never served at the city level before and was considered and “Outsider” to those who had been on council before him.  Rick has said – “There needs to be a change in how the city government responds to their needs of its residents and I believe that it starts with its leadership. I’m a strong proponent for transparency and openness in government. My leadership, management, and entrepreneurial experience make me a perfect candidate to serve this great city!”.  Rick is now serving his first term as City Councilman representing District #4.

In October 1978, Rick married his beautiful wife Rhonda Jo after only knowing her for 10 days. They were both stationed at the time at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul Illinois. They have now been married for over 31 years. In 1986 Rick and Rhonda Jo moved to Englewood after serving for over eight years and raised their two children, Ricky & Michael. Both are Alumni’s of Clayton Elementary, Sinclair Middle School, and Englewood High School. While in the military they served at Castle Air Force Base in Merced California where both of their children were born.  They were then stationed at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam for two years and finished out their enlistment at McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma Washington on C-141’s, 130’s, and C-5 Cargo planes.

Ricks wife, Rhonda Jo, is also a US Air Force Honorably Discharged Veteran and a long time Englewood resident.  She attended and is an alumni of Englewood High School.  Her parents moved to Englewood when she was a young girl.  Rhonda Jo started her career as a Pediatric Nurse and now practices as a Surgical Executive for locations at Sky Ridge Medical Center in Lone Tree and in Castle Rock.  Rhonda has been specializing in Ophthalmology now for over 20 years.