Rick joined OMB Watch in November 2006 as the Director of Federal Regulatory Policy, the program which works to protect and improve the government's ability to develop and enforce safeguards for public health, safety, environment, and civil rights. He directs all activities related to policy advocacy, analysis, research, monitoring, and public education. Rick comes to OMB Watch from Vermont Law School where he was Director of Internal Planning and formerly the Associate Director of the Environmental Law Center. He helped design the curriculum and taught courses in the master's program.

Rick has written several pieces about decision-making in government and environmental issues during his academic career and while working as an independent consultant and policy analyst. He started his own used and rare book business which he ran for more than a dozen years. He also worked in the solid waste management field as the manager of a solid waste division and a program to implement a waste-to-energy facility in county government in Ohio. This led to the opportunity to co-author a book for local governmental officials, Decision-making in Local Government: the Resource Recovery Alternative.

Rick completed his doctorate in public administration and public policy at the University of Cincinnati in 1982. His Master of Environmental Science (M.En) and AB in political science are from Miami University.