Government Philosophy

Biography

State and National Influence

Ricky has a passion for good government. Since his election as Weber Clerk/Auditor in 2010, his mission and purpose have been to operate the Clerk/Auditor’s Office with the highest degree of integrity and transparency. He often says, “My job is to protect your money and your vote.”

That statement proves true in both the fiscal improvements he has made, and the recognition he has earned in guiding national governmental accounting standards and election policy.

Ricky is a public servant in the truest sense of the word. He is always willing to hear and discuss the recommendations and concerns of Utah’s citizens. His expertise is evidenced by the many awards he and his team have earned, and the overwhelming outflow of support he has received across the state.

After graduating with honors from Brigham Young University with a master’s degree in accounting, he worked as an information systems auditor and consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Los Angeles and Warsaw, Poland. He worked as a business analyst and project manager in Germany and Boston. In 2002, he established, ran, and taught at a private K-12 school in Ogden, Utah, later becoming CFO and COO of a chain of private schools throughout the western U.S.

He has been honored by his peers as Utah’s County Auditor of the Year in 2013 and 2017 County Clerk of the Year in 2015 and 2022. He served as President of the Utah Association of Counties, President of the Utah Clerk and Auditor Association, and has chaired the Utah Clerk’s Legislative Committee for the past eight years.

Ricky served as the chair of Leadership Northern Utah, the leadership development program for the Ogden Weber Chamber of Commerce. A devoted fan of the U.S. Constitution, he served ten years on the Constitution Day Committee of Utah. He’s also an Eagle Scout.

Ricky has five fantastic children and three cute-as-a-button grandchildren. He speaks French, albeit slowly and with a funny accent.

• Establishing an Internal Audit Function (700 attendees, Government Finance Officers Association, Minneapolis, 2014)
• Audit Committees for Governments (Eide Bailly, 2015)
• Best Practices for Public Sector ERP Modernization Initiatives (250 webinar participants nationwide, Eide Bailly, 2023)
• Segregation of Duties and Best Practices (Utah Association of County Commissioners and Council Members, 2021)
• Tax Sale Best Practices (Utah Association of Counties, 2018)
• Conflict Resolution (Utah Association of County Commissioners and Council Members, 2020)
• Citizens Academy (Weber State University, 2021)
• Girls’ State (150 attendees, Weber State University, 2014, 2015)
• Elections Cybersecurity (Utah Association of Counties, 2018)
• Rotary Club (Ogden, 2012)
• Community Service (Utah Military Academy, 2016)
• National Elections Funding (U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Orlando, Florida 2017)
• Drop boxes – Best Practices (Pennsylvania Election Officials, 2021)
• Vote by Mail Best Practices (International Association of Government Officials, Nevada, 2021)
• Vote Centers and Vote by Mail Best Practices (Maryland Association of Election Officials, 2017, 2023)
• Vote by Mail and Cybersecurity (South Carolina Association of Recorders and Election Officials, 2018)
• Utah’s Election-day Registration System (200 attendees, National Association of State Election Directors, Washington DC, 2019)
• Administering Elections During COVID 19 (National Association of Counties, webinar, 2020)
• Internet Voting, Possibilities and Warnings, (100 attendees, International Association of Clerks, Recorders, Election Officials, and Treasurers, Colorado, 2015)
• Internet Voting, (50 attendees, National Association of County Recorders and Clerks, California, 2015)