Friends, colleagues keep consumer advocate’s legacy alive

Chris DuPré

Bob Richards fought for consumers and mentored students throughout his life.

During his career, Richards, who died in July at age 54, was a consumer reporter for WMTV-TV Madison’s “Contact 15,” director of patient advocacy at Dean Health System and author of the weekly “Consumer Watch” column for The Capital Times.

It only made sense, then, for friends, family members and colleagues to establish the Bob Richards Consumer Advocacy Internship Award to help aspiring consumer advocates and to honor the legacy of a tireless defender of the public trust.

The award will help students in the School of Human Ecology’s consumer science program to secure internships in consumer protection and advocacy. The initial grant should be made this fall.

Instrumental in creating the award in Richards’ honor was Jeanan Yasiri (M.S. ’85), a senior lecturer in SoHE and vice president for service innovation at Dean Health System.

“Bob was the first person to hire me in a professional position,” said Yasiri, who recalls starting out at age 21 as Richards’ producer for “Contact 15” and later being hired by him at Dean.

“He was so important to my professional and personal development that to call him a mentor would almost be an understatement,” she says.

Regardless of the venue, Richards followed his mission of educating a mass audience on consumer affairs.

“He taught me a lot about life and a lot about journalism,” Yasiri says. “There are a bunch of us who proudly wear the badge of attending the “Bob Richards School of Journalism.'”

When Yasiri started lecturing at UW–Madison, she and Richards co-taught a course, “Consumer Protection and Political Action.”

She later carried on teaching consumer affairs on her own, and she always had Richards speak to her classes.

The sessions Richards would address “were always the highlight of any given semester,” she says. “He was so broad reaching in his knowledge and experience. He had contacts at the local, state and national level, and he could offer an unparalleled historical perspective.

Richards’ book, “It’s in the Fine Print,” has been part of Yasiri’s course reading list since its publication in 1999.

Richards hired Yasiri at Dean in 1992 as part of an effort to reach out to un- insured people. They co-authored a book, “Putting the Patient First.”

The award named for Richards was created through gifts from Dean; the William T. Evjue Foundation, the charitable arm of The Capital Times; Julie Hood, Richards’ widow; and others.

“He was truly a Renaissance man,” Yasiri says. “He was fair. He always looked at all sides of an issue, and he was an incredible mediator, especially when it came to complex problems.

“It was only fitting to set up an award honoring Bob in the Department of Consumer Science, where his legacy could help keep the bar raised high for students.”