About Richard
Richard Leaton Personal Bio
GROWING UP
Growing up as the youngest of seven boys in a big, bustling family taught Richard early on that connection is everything — whether it was building theatrical lighting consoles at age 12 or tracing his grandfather’s WWI submarine stories.
Those tales of bravery in the depths of the ocean sparked a fascination with service and leadership that drew him toward the Navy and a life of empowering others — much like the intentional engagement he champions today. The real lessons, though, have come from the people he has met along the way.
As gunnery officer in a joint U.S. Navy–Coast Guard counter-narcotics task force in 1997, Richard was responsible for the ship’s gun batteries — .50 caliber machine guns, 25mm gatling guns and 5-inch deck guns — on patrols across the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean. The task force interdicted roughly $6 billion in narcotics bound for the United States, approximately $12 billion in 2026 dollars.
He’s got moves!
Born in New York. High school in New Jersey. College in Massachusetts. Navy tours took him to California and Virginia. Professional roles took him to Kentucky, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, and now Georgia. He has explored or lived in 82% of the U.S. (including Washington, D.C.).
42 states (+ Washington DC) lived in or visited
Richard has called 15 states home. The full list of U.S. states he has lived or worked in, grouped by region:
- Northeast: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
- Mid-Atlantic/South: Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia.
- Midwest: Kentucky, Ohio.
- West: California
51 countries or protectorates visited
By land, by sea, by air
Travel is not a hobby; it is how Richard recharges and gains perspective. He has visited or worked in 51 countries across 4 continents. The full list, grouped by region:
Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Canada, Curaçao, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, St. Martin/Sint Maarten (counted as one island), United States, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Colombia, Ecuador
Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales (UK parts counted separately for travel highlights).
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates.
China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam (with Hong Kong and Macau as special regions of China, counted within).
Family: The Heart of it All
Richard is the proud father of three adults: Cynthia, Benjamin, and Allyssa. Cynthia is married to Yohan, adding joy to the family circle.
In January 2026, he lost his wife Karen to Waldenström’s with secondary AL amyloidosis. She led with a heart of service — a 30-year oncology nurse and a small business owner — and that spirit is remembered here.
Home base is Atlanta, and it is a zoo in the best way, with a crew of dogs and cats offering endless love and laughter. In his downtime he enjoys live music, fine dining, and traveling the world to explore new cultures.
It is all about intentional engagement — empowering those around him, just as in his professional life.
