Richard F. Norman
Board of Advisors
A native of Chesapeake, Richard majored in history at Bluefield College and political science at the University of Richmond Graduate School. While attending the University of Richmond, Richard studied under Larry Sabato who was a visiting professor. It was Sabato who guided Richard into a career in political consulting. After graduate school, Richard embarked upon a series of political campaigns including Field Director for George H. W. Bush for President (1979 – 80), Bob Daniel for Congress,(VA-4), (1980), political aide to Rep. Daniel and Campaign Manager for John Wilkerson for Congress (SC-5), 1982.
In 1983, Richard began his career in direct mail and in 1987, Richard founded The Richard Norman Company and Robertson Mailing List Company. TRNC specializes in raising funds for non-profit grassroots lobbies, educational foundations, PACs, candidates and party committees.
Richard founded Patriot Data Services, a data service bureau, in 2002 and ActiveEngagement, a digital communications company in 2009. Outside of the political marketing business, Richard also owns a lodging company, The Cabins at Crabtree Falls, near Charlottesville.
Besides his service on the board of the Center for Politics, Richard is a member of the Board of Governors for the Virginia Institute for Public Policy. He is a member of the Board of Directors of both the American Association of Political Consultants and the National Association of Republican Campaign Professionals. He has lectured on political direct mail fund raising at George Washington University's Graduate School as well as Dr. Sabato's class at The University of Virginia. He has lectured for the International Republican Institute in Africa and the Leadership Institute in Europe. He heads up the Conservative Action Project Working Group on Technology.
Richard has been a co-sponsor of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) since 1987 and is a member of the Council for National Policy. Richard is a member of the Direct Marketing Association, the DMA Nonprofit Federation and the Direct Marketing Association of Washington. He serves on the Board of Directors of Joe Gibb's Youth for Tomorrow and on the Board of Trustees of Bluefield College.
Richard was honored by Campaigns and Elections Magazine as a "Mover and Shaker" and by the American Conservative Union for his work in helping to stop "Hillary Health Care" in 1993 – 94. He has appeared numerous times on the television show Conservative Roundtable and is quoted frequently by Politico, The Washington Post and The Washington Times.
Richard and his wife, Vickie, reside in Paeonian Springs, Virginia. They have two adult children. Besides politics, Richard's passion is working out and he also enjoys shooting sports, surfing, snow skiing, golf, photography, travel, hiking and spending time at his two hundred-year old log cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.