Rich grew up in Naples, Florida, and as a boy often spent more hours a day fishing from the local pier than he did at home. He built his first fishing rod at age 12; an old Fenwick blank with a one-piece cork foregrip and an electrical tape-wrapped clothesline rear grip. The wrapping was done by sticking the butt in a shoe, sewing thread spool in one hand while twisting the rod with the other. Truly "old school" rod wrapping! Thirty some odd years later, he is still building rods, but with nicer tools and equipment. Rich is just a hobby builder these days, making rods for himself and friends, and occasionally donating rods for silent auctions that benefit worthy causes. Rich graduated with a degree in Forestry from the University of Florida. While attending college, he built and repaired fishing rods at a tackle shop in Gainesville. Rich currently works as the Fire Training Officer for the Florida Division of Forestry stationed in Brooksville. He still enjoys fishing, and competes in quite a few saltwater inshore tournaments in South Florida. He finished well enough in a few big tournaments to qualify to fish the IGFA Inshore World Championships in both 2008 and 2009.

Rich became serious about thread art with the help of an early mentor, the late great Sam Price. Sam was a master rod builder at Naples Sporting Goods, and was Rich's "sensei" for many years. With Sam's occasional help and tips, Rich worked his way through many of the patterns picked up out of Dale Clemens' books. At this point, Rich only concentrates on cross wraps.

After years and years of wrapping rods by hand, he finally broke down and bought a machine about 3 years ago. Recently he purchased Billy Vivona's book on Decorative Wraps. With some of the tricks he learned in that book, and some advice by master rod building friend Robby Turner of Surf and Turf Custom in Naples, he feels like he finally "turned the corner" on thread art, and is now truly happy with his work.