Richard P. Tonkinson

Bio

Rick has been committed to serving the community for 40 years.

From 1987 to 1992, he represented the Governor as a board member of the Florida Endowment Fund for Higher Education which provides grants to African American PhD candidates.

Rick believes in tithing and provides 25% of his gross income to 36 charities through The Tonkinson Foundation.

A longtime supporter of FIU, Rick is Chairman of the Advisory Board of the FIU College of Communications, Architecture and the Arts (CARTA). He and his wife, Margarita, have given a major gift to the Theatre Department and the theatre lobby is named in their honor. The Tonkinson Foundation provides the grant for the CARTA medallion award.

Rick is also the Treasurer and national board member of the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.

The Arsht Performance Arts Center at the Knight Concert Hall second tier promenade is named in honor of Rick and Margarita.

Rick was a Peace Corp volunteer in Colombia where he met Margarita. They have been married for 44 years and have a son, Steven.

Rick is founder and President of Tonkinson Financial and he has been a top money manager for 30 years.