Businessman chairman president of Empire
Richard earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from in 1974. He went on to earn a Juris Doctor from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center in 1977, and a Master"s of Law in Taxation from Georgetown University in 1981.
He was awarded the Louisiana State University Foundation"s President"s Award in 2003.
He is currently the president of Empire of the Seed, a Louisianan consulting firm, and chairman of CleanFuel United States of America. He was chairman, president and chief executive of the Fortune 500 company Columbia Energy Group. Chairman, president and chief executive of the Fortune 1000 company New Jersey Resources. President and chief executive of Northern Natural Gas Pipeline.
And vice president of Tenngasco.
He served on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as a Commissioner from 1982 to 1985. Richard was born (1952) and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
They have one son. Richard was made Chief Executive Officer of the Herndon-based Columbia Energy Group in April 1995.
He ran the company until its merger with NiSource in November 2000.
