Born and raised in Santa Ana, Richard Porras graduated from Saddleback High School and attended Santa Ana College before going to work for AT&T. Richard later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Science from the University of Redlands in 1995.Richard started his career at Pacific Bell in 1977 as a Long Distance Operator. In 1984 he was instrumental in developing one of the state’s first translation bureaus, “Servicio en Espanol”. Richard has held various positions in human resources and managed employment and recruitment for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside/San Bernardino, and San Diego counties. In 1997 Richard accepted a position as External Affairs Director, representing the corporation to the communities of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa and Placentia. In January 2000 Richard was appointed as Area Vice President overseeing External Affairs for Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. During his 38 year tenure with the company, Porras has watched the corporation maintain its leading edge in the industry as telecommunications technology advanced at breakneck speed. Through the evolution of its brand from AT&T, to Pacific Bell with its divesture in 1984, to SBC with its merger in 1996, to its re-emerge to AT&T in 2006, Porras continued advancing in his career as well. Porras currently directs business, community and governmental relations for AT&T in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. In his role he serves on numerous boards of business and community organizations.

Richard is the Past Chair of the board of directors of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, he is the Past Chairman of the Orange County Taxpayers Association; He is the Past President and current board member of the Boys/Girls Club of Santa Ana, and a board member of the Orange Coast and Vanguard University Foundations. Richard is the current board member of the High School Inc. Foundation working with the Santa Ana School Board and the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce. Porras also sits on the Encuentros board of Orange County board as well as the Drug Use Is Life Abuse board for the Orange County Sheriff Advisory board, he is a board member of the Orange County Business Council board where he chairs the Workforce Development Committee.

Richard and Cindy Porras have been married for 41 years and reside in Rancho Santa Margarita and have two daughters, Missy and Amber both graduates of UC Santa Barbara.