Richard is a founding member of DanceNL and is currently the Past- President of the Board. 

He retired, in 2010, from the position of Manager of Programming and Promotion for the Arts and Culture Centres in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, a position he held since 1975. He began his career in the performing arts as a lighting technician and has now returned to that role on a freelance basis. He presently volunteers at The Garrick Theatre in Bonavista as lighting technician and is a member of their Programming Committee. 

He spent three years as the National President of CAPACOA (Canadian Arts Presenting Association); he was the founding president of CDA (Canadian Dance Assembly) and he was Vice Chair of the Debut Atlantic Society. He is also a founding member of the Atlantic Presenters Association, and Dance Events Inc. He was a Board member of Kittiwake Dance Theatre for six years and was Technical Director from its incorporation in 1986 until 2016. 

In 2002 he became the Founding Chairman of CDA (Canadian Dance Assembly). He has been honoured for his contribution to the performing arts, by receiving the Contact East Professional Presenter Award in 1998; as the 2002 recipient of The National Arts Centre Award for Distinguished Contribution to Touring, and in 2003 as SOCAN Patron of Music. In 2004 the CITT (Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology) honoured him with its Professional Achievement Award; in 2010 he received the Contact East Award of Excellence, and in 2011 he was inducted into the Dance Teachers’ Association of Newfoundland Hall of Fame.