Ric recently retired as the Program Manager for Emergency Medical Services and Law Enforcement Professions at Northeast Iowa Community College. Among his accomplishments there he brokered a partnership with the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office to provide a virtual judgmental use of force simulator to help assure the community’s law enforcement professionals are as good as they can be at identifying and properly responding to lethal situations. He does expert consulting in the areas of public policy and emergency response, and is the drummer and leader of the Upper Main Street Jazz/Swing Band.
Ric drives a school bus for the Dubuque Community School District transporting some of Dubuque’s best kids to and from some of the world’s best schools.
Ric is an accomplished emergency medicine educator, with an emphasis on trauma and advanced life support. He has taught classes on emergency care all over the United States, including a stint for the United States Department of Defense training troops prior to their deployment for the first Gulf War.
On May 15, 2007, Ric was inducted into the Dubuque County Fire Association’s “Hall of Flame,” an honor that humbles him. Honorees have served the association with many volunteer hours to improve the fire service in and around Dubuque County.
On May 6, 2011, Ric was one of the inaugural inductees to the Dubuque County “Stars of Life,” honoring his many years of service, education, and innovation to the Emergency Medical Services community.
Ric served the City of Dubuque Fire Department for 31 years, beginning his career as a Fire Fighter/Emergency Medical Technician in 1974, and retiring as Emergency Medical Services Supervisor in 2005. He was one of Iowa’s first Paramedics and left behind an extraordinarily capable EMS system for the citizens of Dubuque.
After a weekend off, he announced his candidacy for City Council and was elected in November, 2005, to his first term. Enjoying wide margins of electoral success, he was re-elected in 2009, 2013 and 2017. He recently announced his intent to seek re-election this fall.