Politician
Ambassador to Denmark
Architect

Richard Swett is a member of the graduating class of 1975. After graduating, he went on to attend Yale University, graduating in 1979 with a degree in architecture. As an architect he focused on environmental design and alternative, clean energy plants. This work taught him how energy and the environment were politicized, so from there, his career moved into more of a political focus, being elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1990. In Congress, he served as a member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation; a member of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and a member of the Congressional Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. After nearly unseating incumbent Senator Bob Smith, Richard was nominated by President Bill Clinton to be the United States Ambassador to Denmark in 1998, where he served for 3 years. Upon his return from Denmark, he was the Managing Principal of one of the 10 largest Architecture and Engineering firms in their Washington, DC office. He is currently the co-founder and CEO of Climate Prosperity Enterprise Solutions, a community-focused development firm working to create sustainable local economies primarily in Africa through an innovative wealth creation model following the Native Alaskan Corporations that have lifted the indigenous people from poverty to prosperity over the last four decades. He serves on many boards, commissions, and was on the jury that oversaw the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site following the attack on 9/11.