Richard Valuntas
Councilman, Group #2
Richard was born in Drexel Hill, PA and moved to Broward County, FL in 1973 with his mother (Phyllis) and his older brother (Alan). He developed a strong work ethic during his childhood by watching his mother work two or three jobs just to provide for the family’s basic needs. In order to help make ends meet, Richard and his older brother delivered newspapers and worked part-time jobs in the food service industry while they attended Florida’s public schools. After Richard graduated with honors from Miramar High School in 1988, he continued his studies at the Florida State University in Tallahassee.
In order to finance his college education, Richard earned scholarships, obtained student loans, and worked part-time jobs. After Richard obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Criminology at FSU, he returned to Broward County in 1993 and worked as a Child Support Enforcement Case Analyst for Florida’s Department of Revenue. When Richard left the Department of Revenue to pursue his dream of becoming an attorney, he traveled back to Tallahassee to attend law school at FSU.
After Richard graduated from law school in 1998, he moved to Palm Beach County. When Richard decided to put down roots in 2001, he chose Royal Palm Beach as his home. Richard continued his studies after moving to Palm Beach County and obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University in December of 2002. Several months later, Richard's first son (Cyrus) was born at Palms West Hospital. Richard was also blessed with a second son (Riley) and a daughter (Christina). All of Richard's children have attended Cypress Trails Elementary School. Cyrus is currently a student at Royal Palm Beach High School in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) program, and Riley attends Crestwood Middle School. In 2008, Richard also earned a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida.
Richard has been an active member of the community over the years. He was a member of the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Advisory Board from 2002-2010 and volunteered as an assistant baseball coach for the Youth Baseball Association of Royal Palm Beach. Richard previously served on the Village Council from March of 2010 through March of 2016. Richard also served the community as a Palm Beach County Traffic Court Hearing Officer from 2005 until 2007. Richard is a Board Certified Criminal Appellate attorney and has practiced law in both the public and private sectors.
