Richard served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy and Naval Reserve, and retired from the Civil Engineer Corps after 22 years of commendable service. He joined The Adams Companies in 1997 as Director of Real Estate Development. In 2000, the company was named to Virginia Business Magazine's Fantastic 50 (fastest growing companies in Virginia). In 2001, the company received the Vanguard Award (the highest overall growth of a privately held company). Richard was appointed Principal Broker of Adams-Nelson & Associates, Inc. in 2006. He holds a degree in architecture from the University of Virginia with a concentration in Urban and Environmental Planning.