John Rico
John Rico serves Global Learning and Leadership as a Director and as Advisor for CIT Innovation, Applications and Assessments. John is the founder, President and CEO of Rico Computers Enterprises, a 33 year old family owned technology business. Headquartered in Chicago Illinois, Rico Enterprises is one of the oldest Minority Technology Firms in the Midwest. Mr. Rico has more than 38 years of experience in manufacturing and process management, quality control, automated production, systems design, and customization and installation. Before starting Rico Enterprises, John held supervisory, management and administrative positions with the Boyle Midway Company, Armour-Dial Corporation, American Pouch Food Company, Turtle Wax Corporation and the Oz Foods Co.
Mr. Rico has served on the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce for the past 20 years. He is the Co-Chair of the Illinois Workforce Investment Board (IWIB) appointed by the Governor of Illinois. The Board ensures that workforce preparation services and programs are coordinated and integrated, measures and evaluates overall performance and results of programs, and is charged to ensure cooperation between government and the private sector to meet workforce preparation needs of Illinois' employers and workers. In 2009 John was appointed by Governor Quinn to serve on the P20 Council, an Education Collaborative established to improve academic progress statewide. John is the Chair of the National Association of State Workforce Board Chairs (50 States). Mr. Rico has been a member of the board of directors of the oldest private sector Incubator in U.S.A. located in Evanston Illinois since 1987 www.theincubator.com.
Mr. Rico’s leadership enabled his firm to earn numerous contracts such as the $15 million dollar contract/ownership of Wi-Fi for O’Hare/Midway Airport, Document Imaging contract for Cook County Recorder of Deeds, and preferred vendor for Chicago Public Schools District IT support. Mr. Rico developed a strong relationship with the CPS Board utilizing cost effective strategies in desktop support, break/fix and network services for 640 CPS Schools. Rico Enterprises partners with large corporations, such as IBM, HP, Acer, CDW and Scholastic to provide the K-12 Education Market for the Chicago Public Schools educational and business software, hardware sales and service, deployment and installation of computers, network maintenance and support.
Mr. Rico has earned many awards including Who’s Who Computer Industry- first to integrate computers in manufacturing-1985, Who’s Who Computer Industry International-1990, First Hispanic Computer firm serving Chicago Educational Institutions Gates 1996, for Outstanding Achievement in Education for Business-Chicago Southland Chamber 1998/1999, inducted into UIC’s Entrepreneur Hall of Fame 2004, and featured on the Covers of Business Magazine 1995, Hispanic Quarterly Exec Magazine 2009, and Illinois State of Innovation Magazine 2013.
John is a lifelong Chicago resident. He ran the Chicago Marathon in 1986, 1990 and 1995.