Richard Ramsay completed his master’s degree in Social Work at McGill University. Beginning his career at the John Howard Society in Ottawa in 1966, he trained volunteers to work the phones at one of Ottawa’s first crisis hotlines before moving back to his native Alberta in 1969.

He was Director of Care at Edmonton’s Maple Ridge Residential Treatment Centre until 1975, when he moved to Calgary to take a position as a social work professor. It was while serving as a professor at the University of Calgary that he became involved in volunteer activities coordinated by the Canadian Mental Health Association and met Bryan Tanney, forming the beginning of the RTTL partnership.

Honored with numerous awards for his contributions to social work and suicide prevention locally and globally, Richard retired as a professor in 2004 but remains an active leader at LivingWorks. He served as President from LivingWorks' inception through to 2017, when he transitioned to the role of President Emeritus to focus on mentorship and guidance for staff, leaders, and trainers.