Moore, 2017 Citizen of Year, Enthused as Coach, Trustee

It’s been a month since Richard Moore was named Citizen of the Year at the recent “Celebrate Lake City” fete sponsored by Lake City Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Improvement & Revitalization Team.
Well respected in town and known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, the hardworking cross country, and track and field coach has been pretty busy since award night. Taking his team to recent State Champion-ships, Moore has been difficult to pin down for a celebratory interview.
Moore made the move to Lake City from Denton, Texas, six years ago, hired as Family Camp Director at Camp Redcloud.  He carries a Master’s Degree in Education from prestigious Dallas Theological Seminary and previously served as a youth pastor at Denton Community Church; Program Director at Flying H Boys Ranch in Naches, Washington; and carried dual roles as Chaplain/Coach at Denton Calvary Academy in Denton before accepting the Redcloud position.
After working at the camp for only a year, it became clear the future of Camp Redcloud was in question, and the Moore family faced a common Lake City dilemma, should we stay or should we go?
With an easy smile Moore states, “You know, it’s not a dead end road if it gets you where you want to go. We didn’t want to go back to the big city.  We love it here.”
Almost immediately his wife Rachel was offered a full time job with Local Warming, and the couple agreed to do whatever it took to stay put. School opportunities cropped up one after the other, and it wasn’t long before Moore accepted a job as facility manager at the school, with an eye towards more.
“I really wanted to coach,” he recalls.
Richard and Rachel Moore have three boys, Riley, 17, who just finished his junior year; Reese, 14, completing 8th Grade; and the youngest, Rhett, 12, who will enter 7th Grade in the fall.
When asked about hobbies he enjoys, Moore notes that he and Rachel formerly rode bikes “all the time” with the expressed hope of returning to more of that favored activity in the future.
“When we first met, Rachel and I had a goal to climb each state’s highest peak.  We’ve done that in Colorado, Texas and New Mexico. Of course, it got harder as the kids came along but now that they are older, I would really like to get back to more hiking and camping as a family.”
Likeable and clearly a favorite with students at the school, Moore realizes the importance of being a positive role model in today’s world. He relates stories of coaching in an athletic program which began in 2008 “with absolutely no resources.”
Through the persistent efforts of Dan Scoggins and Ruthanne File, he recalls that within the first or second year, those pioneers of the program took Forrest Swift to State in both cross-country and track.  Moore notes Scroggins remains an active coach at Lake City Community School, as well as Athletic Director. Scroggins, according to Moore, remains deeply involved on every level, planning and arranging the meets for the athletic programs.
Moore credits the 2017 success of Lake City teams to the groundwork of Scroggins and “incredible support” from the community, the school board and staff. He mentions fellow coach Martha Levine who “gets out there and runs with the kids… what an awesome example and encouragement for the kids.”
Sincere and humble, Moore was surprised to be tagged as Citizen of the Year and is much more comfortable promoting others than he is talking about his own achievements.
He cites the “amazing support of Superintendent Dr. Leslie Nichols for her unfailing efforts on behalf of the Lake City teams.”  While at the recent state championships, he recalls arriving at the tent to get something to eat and finding Nichols was there. “She was picking up trash and making sure everyone on the team was taken care of, that we all had what we needed.”
“I assure you,” he adds, “no one else’s district superintendent would have been out there taking care of trash.”  Very appreciative of the outpouring of unilateral support received for the athletes whom he coaches, Moore emphasizes, “Greatness trickles down. The kids know it and they see it.”
Pleased to be honored with Citizen of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce, Moore says he loves being a coach.
“My whole goal with kids, and staff or anybody I meet is to love them. Meet them where they are and love them.  As a Christian, I’ve been shown the greatest love by Jesus and I just try to live out my faith.  I’m not pushing my beliefs or anything else on other people. This is just who I am.”
Moore also serves as Lake City Town Trustee, liaison member to the DIRT board, and laughs that he doesn’t really do much, “I just sit in and listen. DIRT does really hard work, though.”
Crediting the incredible efforts of DIRT’s Executive Director Kristi Borchers, Coach Moore suggests that she just may be the smartest woman in Hinsdale County and the greatest asset Lake City has on hand.
When asked about his service as a Lake City Town Trustee, Moore shakes his head.
“It was rough at first.  I didn’t know how much I didn’t know.”  In one meeting, during discussion, he said, “I openly declared I was a Christian. And then I realized I had to live up to what I said.”  The transition into a town official was a definite process.
“I had to learn to listen with both ears and really hear both sides of the story or an issue. I had to learn to hear everything.”
He acknowledges the pitfalls and speedups of being a public official in a small town. Noting that this life of faith isn’t always easy as he tries to live it out and filter everything through a worldview, he adds, “I have had to admit when I’ve made mistakes and ask board members for forgiveness.”
“I have really tried to do my best to represent all the people in Lake City, not just likeminded folks.”