Speaker Information

H. West Richards has spent the last 25 years of his diverse career in both the public and private sector. His public sector experience includes seven years on Capitol Hill in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving in such capacities as Legislative Director, Press Secretary and Chief of Staff. Richards also had oversight responsibilities in what is now the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. In 1990, Richards was the youngest Chief of Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Since leaving Washington and now returning to Washington, Richards has remained active in politics and has served as a strategic advisor in one Gubernatorial campaign and two Congressional campaigns. He maintains strong political ties across the state of Georgia and in Washington, D.C.

In early 2014, Richards co-founded the American Transaction Processors Coalition with the prestigious Washington, D.C.-based law firm Hunton& Williams, LLP. The mission of the Coalition is to Protect, Preserve and Promote the interests and advancement of the Transaction Processing industry. This also includes working with both the private and public sector to create economic development opportunities for the industry which has a high concentration of enterprises in Georgia. Richards is responsible for Federal, State & Local Government Relations, Public Affairs, Community Affairs, University Relations and Economic Development. The ATPC is headquartered in Atlanta with offices in Washington, D.C.

Richards is a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University in Public Policy & Management with a concentration in Management Information Systems. He enjoys skiing and has competed in seven Triathlons mostly on behalf of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society one of which was an IRONMAN (70.3). Richards lives with his wife and Airedale Terrier in Roswell, GA.