BIO
Rick, along with his wife Debbie, are the Founding, Managing Partners of Your Strategy Partners, a Bonita Springs, Florida based company specializing in helping small businesses secure their Federal & State tax credits. Your Strategy Partners has helped business owners in Florida and around the nation qualify and receive millions of dollars in tax credits for 2016-2022.
Rick’s 34-year career bridges Business, Government, and Non-Profits/Associations - domestically and overseas. His professional background is in business development, marketing & sales. As a small business owner – he was a pioneer in the digital signage advertising business with his company Elektrosign, LLC; and US & international business and economic development with his company TransAtlantic, LLC.
Rick started out his career as the Legislative Aide to a State Representative in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1987; and worked with Rep. Oxender on the Appropriations subcommittees of K-12 Education and Commerce, Labor and Regulatory Affairs. Following that he became the Legislative & Executive Director of the 1600-member Michigan Occupational Education Association 1994-1996.
This government and association background propelled Rick to become the US Executive Director of the Cross-Cultural Leadership Forum (CLF) 1996-2006 in Farmington Hills, MI, a non-profit business cultural training organization in the USA, Germany and China. CLF worked with HR managers to train international manufacturers in the auto industry, software & technology, agricultural machinery, and home electronics sectors (GM, Chrysler, Daimler-Benz, Siemens and their suppliers.)
Rick was then appointed by the Minister of Economics of the German State of Brandenburg as the North American Representative for Economic Development in the US and Canada in 1999-2003. During his appointment Rick helped over 300 companies with their tax credits, open up new sales channels and business facilities in both Germany, Canada and the United States.
After his Brandenburg appointment concluded, Rick teamed back up with his CLF German and Chinese partners through TransAtlantic LLC 2004-2007 to help auto parts and software manufacturers source and expand their businesses in China. He is the author of a “Business Handbook for China”, and has written columns and articles for many publications including, The Michigan Manufacturers Association and Southwest Florida Business Today.
Rick has a Master of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University 1990; and a Bachelor of Arts in German, Marketing and Political Science from Central Michigan University 1985. He was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in Graduate School at the University of Zurich in Switzerland 1985-86. He is a 20-year Rotarian, past Rotary Assistant Governor, active with District 6960 leadership, and 4-time Rotary Club President, including being the Charter President of the Rotary Club of Bonita Beach Sunset.
