Rich leads VOANNE, a nonprofit organization offering affordable housing, residential care and community based social services to communities in Maine and New Hampshire. Prior to this, Richard served as the National Executive Director for the Children’s Defense Fund, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to the ending of poverty and health disparities for America’s children. Rich was also CEO of a regional child welfare agency in Massachusetts, was the Executive Director of a statewide supportive housing program serving long term homeless persons in Minnesota, and conducted federal legislative advocacy and policy analysis for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Richard graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law. Richard and his husband have six adoptive children.