Dr. Richard M. Swier, Ed. D., LTC, US Army (Ret.)

Richard holds a Doctorate of Education from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA, a Master’s Degree in Management Information Systems from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C., and a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Richard is a 23-year Army veteran who retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1990. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for his years of service. Additionally, he was awarded the Bronze Star with “V” for Heroism in ground combat, the Presidential Unit Citation, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry while serving with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam. He is a graduate of the Field Artillery Officers Basic and Advanced Courses, and U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

Richard was the Founder/CEO of Sarasota Online, a high technology company that was sold to Comcast Cable in 1996. He helped start Backsoft Corporation an enterprise software development company in 1997 whose clients included Coca-Cola, Anheuser- Busch, Hyundai Electronics, Volkswagen, Moen and Goodyear. Backsoft was sold in 2001.

Richard twice chaired the Sarasota Better Business Council and sat on the Board of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County and on the Sponsorship Advisory Committee to the Sarasota County School Board.

He is President of the Sarasota County Veterans Commission, an honorary member of the BRAIVE Fund, and has been elected Chairman of the Sarasota National Cemetery Advisory Committee.

Rich is the Publisher of Red County – Florida and Editor of Red County – Sarasota, http://www.redcounty.com, an internationally read website dedicated to center right grassroots commentary, news and politics.