Rich is a Senior Associate with Citygate Associates which provides consulting services to local and state government in the areas of government management, community development, emergency services, strategic planning and organizational development; a doctorate student in organizational development at Washington State University; and a provides commetary on the national and regional media on a variety of political issues. 

Rich was recently interim City Administrator for the city of Cascade Locks, Oregon. He was also the Director of Clark County's Community Development Department (Vancouver, Washington) which had 165 employees, a $17 million annual budget and reviewed $588 million in new construction annually. He was Planning Director for METRO (Portland area's regional government) in charge of land use, solid waste, open space, emergency management and stormwater planning. He was also the Acting City Manager and Community Development Director for the City of Oregon City. Rich was an economic development Senior Policy Analyst during the administrations of Governors Victor Atiyeh and Neil Goldschmidt, and advised Governor Barbara Roberts on salmon habitat.

Rich was a member of the Portland mayor's Growth Management Committee;  chair of the Oregon Governor's Econcomic Action Team; former President of the Southwest Section of the American Planning Association's Washington Chapter. A former state board member of Oregon and Washington's state APA chapters, and Oregon Planners' Journal editor for four years. Rich was Vice-Chair with the Urban Land Institute's Oregon/SW Washington District Council.

Rich used to maintain APA's Planning Publication's Directory website, was an Urban Studies editor for LookSmart, Open Directory Project (DMOZ),  Wikipedia and webmaster for About Planning. Rich is now pursuing a doctorate degree [Ph.D.] in organizational development at Washington State University.

International City/County Managers' Association (ICMA)

American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)

Organization Development Network (ODN)

Professional Associations

Richard Carson

What's New?

Articles: Public Management Magazine published my latest article (December 2012)

Speaking: I will be presenting to the Idaho City Managers Association (January 2013) in Boise, Idaho.