Meet Our New Technical Services Specialist
Posted March 16, 2023
Our Design & Technology division covers a range of tasks here at the Chester County Planning Commission — from technical services and graphics to GIS and mapping. We are excited to welcome our new Technical Services Specialist to the team, Richard Drake!
As CCPC's Technical Services Specialist, no day looks quite the same for Richard. His background in Environmental Studies and GIS, as well as his interest in sustainability and land use make him a great fit for CCPC. Richard also looks forward to getting involved with web app design, trail planning, and open space preservation.
A native of Charlottesville, VA, Richard's favorite place is the Valley of Virginia where he spent the first few years of his life before moving to Fairfax, and then PA after attending Gettysburg College. "My parents have a farm outside of Lexington, VA, and I really enjoy getting to go down there and spend some time," he noted.
Richard's list of interests only begins there as he also plays on an adult ice hockey league (and served as team Captain Junior/Senior year of college) — and enjoys hiking, kayaking, hunting, fishing, traveling with family, cooking, grilling, and making all kinds of BBQ in his smoker!
In his spare time, you can most likely find Richard out on a hike with his dog Zeke and his fiancée in Valley Forge. In addition to their dog Zeke, Richard notes that he and his fiancée have a rabbit, a leopard gecko, a bearded dragon, and a bunch of fish — as well as a small tropical jungle worth of houseplants in their home in Chesterbrook.
When asked what his favorite life motto is, Richard replied with Wayne Gretzky's "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take," adding that he has a wooden sign with this quote that his sister made before he went off to college. "I love it since it is applicable to hockey but also to life, you never know what an opportunity will be if you do not take it. Even if you fail, you attempted it and all the times you fail give way for you to learn and succeed."
We look forward to working with Richard!
View CCPC's full staff directory.