Rick Becker (2007-present)

Retired member of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States.  Born in St. Louis, MO and raised in California, Rick earned a B.A. in history from UC-Berkeley and a Ph.D. in international relations from Claremont Graduate School.  He attended the University of Michigan and Georgetown University for post-graduate studies, and held faculty positions at the Universities of New Mexico and Wisconsin before joining the State Department in 1974.  During his 30-year Foreign Service career, Rick worked in political and economic affairs and served in senior management positions at U.S. embassies in Romania, Brazil, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Panama, as well as in Washington, D.C.  Rick is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations from the State Department, the U.S. Army (for service as foreign affairs adviser to the chief of staff), law enforcement agencies, and overseas business, labor and civic groups.  His foreign languages include Romanian, Portuguese, and Spanish.   A Davis resident since 2005, Rick is active in UCD-Extension's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where he has taught courses on foreign aid and World War II, and in the Davis Tennis Club.  For I-House, he has chaired the program committee, organized conferences on China and Brazil, and directed the Great Decisions discussion series.  He and his wife Peggy, also an I-House activist, have two daughters and two grandchildren, all residing in Northern California.