Oliver G. "Rick" Richard, III, earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Louisiana State University in 1974, 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.

Richard was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 1982 and received the FERC Chairman's Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal from the U.S. Secretary of Energy for his efforts.

Prior to his retirement, the Lake Charles native was chairman, president, and CEO of the Fortune 500 Columbia Energy Group; chairman, president and CEO of New Jersey Resources; president and CEO of Northern Natural Gas Pipeline, and vice president and general counsel of Tenngasco. Today he is president of Empire of the Seed, a private consulting firm in the energy, management, and private investments industries, and also serves as chairman of CleanFUEL USA.

Active in civic and professional organizations at the local, state, and national levels, Richard has served or is serving on the boards or as an officer of numerous organizations. Among these organizations are the Nature Conservancy of Louisiana, Lake Charles Downtown Development District, Calcasieu Parish Boy Scouts of America, Southwest Louisiana Camp Fire USA, Coastal Plains Conservancy, McNeese State University School of Business, Sowela Technical Community College Foundation, The LSU System Research and Technology Foundation, and Buckeye Partners, L.P.

He also served as a member of the National Petroleum Council, chairman of the Interstate National Gas Association of America, and on the boards of the American Gas Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Richard was president of the Board of Trustees of the LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center, and is currently serving on the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication and LSU Press advisory boards. It was recently announced that Richard will receive the LSU Law Center Distinguished Alumnus Award in the fall of 2011. Lsu Law Center also awarded him their Distinguished Service Award in 2010. He received the LSU Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009, was inducted into the LSU Manship School Hall of Fame in 2007 and was awarded the LSU Foundation's President's Award in 2003.

Richard, his wife, the former Donna Guzman, a McNeese State alumna, and son, David, reside in Lake Charles.

LSU Alumni Profile - The Odyssey of Rick Richard - Adobe PDF Format