Rick Long has had a rich and varied career in business strategy, association management and wholesale distribution. From 2009 through 2021, Rick held a series of key roles with PEI, the international trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of fuel handling equipment used at convenience stores. In 2017, PEI’s board of directors elevated Rick to a dual role as the association’s senior staff leader and general counsel. During his tenure, Rick guided PEI and its 1,500 corporate members through major regulatory challenges, industry transformations and the COVID pandemic. Rick also served on the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors’ board of directors and was selected by his peers to chair NAW’s Association Executives Council.

Rick has written hundreds of articles on management, marketing, regulatory and legal matters. He also has provided strategic services to leading organizations, including CDA, American Airlines, the American Academy of Family Physicians and Teleflora. In 2025, the Society of American Florists recognized Rick with a lifetime achievement award for his lasting contributions to research and education in the floral industry.

Rick earned a Bachelor of Science degree, with high honors, from Southern Methodist University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He received his Juris Doctorate degree, with honors, from the University of Texas. Before entering the world of business and association management, Rick practiced law in Tulsa, Oklahoma.