Rick is Anishinaabe, Odawa Wolf Clan with roots in Wikwemikong Manitoulin Island. His Teachers/Elders are many including Max Assinewai, Gord Waindubence, Eddie King, Jackie Laforme, Tom Porter, Jim Wellheiser, Ronald Bunston and James Shawana. Rick is a traditional knowledge keeper, sweat lodge conductor and pipe carrier who graduated from Brock University. His facilitation and counselling work has been ongoing for 35 years and he has been privileged to teach at Trent University, Niagara College and Mohawk College. Rick spends much of his time supporting Indigenous agencies with internal capacity development, and that experience comes from a decade with the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, his work as Executive Director at Boys and Girls Club and his service as President of the Board for two Indigenous agencies and several mainstream corporations. Rick brings over two decades of teaching experience and certifications in MBTI, Emotional Quotient Inventory and Personality Dimensions as well as Indigenous counselling practices to the classroom.