Rich is a career photojournalist and writer who got his start in newspapers in 1987 at the Fort Morgan Times in Colorado. His appreciation for photography and stories began as a kid while watching slide shows his dad created with photos shot around the family farm in Iowa and during summer vacations. A graduate of Northwest Missouri State University, Rich has built a portfolio of images from 46 states and 9 Canadian provinces. He served the Fort Collins Coloradoan newspaper for 22 years before returning to Iowa in 2013 where he was a correspondent for the Boone News-Republican and freelanced for the Ames Tribune. He also worked as a caregiver for the elderly, was a cashier at a convenience store and a custodian at Iowa State University. Rich joined the staff of the Morning Sentinel in 2019. He lives in Waterville.