Rick is the Executive Director, President and founder of the Michigan Municipal Association for Utility Issues (MI-MAUI), a statewide membership organization representing local government interests in utility services and regulatory proceedings. A primary role for MI-MAUI is to help local governments secure the utility services and rates they need to accomplish their climate and energy goals. He has represented municipal interests in Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) electric rate cases, voluntary green power and renewable energy cases, integrated resource plan cases, and in various MPSC working groups and technical conferences.

Reflecting the emphasis that local governments place on energy equity and democracy, Rick is lead within 5 Lakes Energy on consumer protection and low-income energy issues. He serves on the MPSC’s Low Income Energy Policy Board and the Energy Affordability and Accessibility Committee.

In addition to his leadership of MI-MAUI, Rick has testified for the Michigan Attorney General, Citizens Utility Board, Michigan Environmental Council and others in MPSC cases on topics including electric and gas rates, depreciation, cost recovery, voluntary green power, and has submitted comments in MPSC ex parte dockets.

Rick previously served as Executive Director of the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, a coalition of municipal governments in the Detroit Metro region that assisted members to identify, finance and implement clean energy projects at their facilities and to develop energy and climate action plans.

A native of the Seattle area, Rick came to Michigan in 2008 to serve as managing director of the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan, and previously held senior executive or program management roles at The Aspen Institute, Bainbridge Graduate Institute and World Resources Institute focused on sustainable business education and research.

Rick chairs the Planning Commission of Ann Arbor Township, where he resides with his family. He is Treasurer of The Stewardship Network, an Ann Arbor-based national conservation organization whose mission is to  connect, equip and mobilize people and organizations to care for land and water in their communities. He was previously a board member and officer of Soulardarity, a Highland Park-based energy democracy organization, and of the Michigan Environmental Council. He is also President of the Washington Public Interest Research Group.

Rick holds an MBA with Environmental Management Concentration from University of Washington Business School, and a BA in Political Science from Yale University.