Rick Rill

Rick Rill’s inspiring journey proves that resilience and passion can lead to unexpected opportunities and lasting success.

Rick Rill, Revit Coordinator at Jones & Henry, has carved a niche for himself in the world of engineering and design. With a strong foundation in information modeling, Rick coordinates the integration of various engineering disciplines, ensuring that projects can progress smoothly and efficiently. His expertise in Revit^®, a robust tool for creating intelligent 3D models, has positioned him to help teams collaborate effortlessly across different organizations.

Rick’s role also involves making sure people are engaged with the design program so they can work on it together. As people make changes, Revit enables automatic updates across plans, schedules, and documentation, thereby improving coordination and reducing errors. The cloud-based system also lets Jones & Henry Engineers collaborate with other companies.

Born and raised in the Collins Park neighborhood of East Toledo, Rick’s journey has been anything but ordinary. Born with a hip defect, he wore a cast from the waist down for two years during his childhood. Rick attended Holy Rosary School before enrolling in Cardinal Stritch Catholic High School. During his first year, Rick got into his first ever fist fight with a junior. Consequently, his parents sent him to nearby Waite High School in his sophomore year. At Waite, he played football until his senior year, when he injured his hip further.

Despite those challenges, Rick’s determination remained steadfast. After high school, he attended Owens Community College, where he earned degrees in welding and architecture CAD. Around that time, his father’s coworkers at a North Star Steel plant in Monroe, Michigan dissuaded Rick from pursuing a welding career, citing health risks associated with the job.

In 1999, after graduating from Owens, Rick interned at the former Finkbeiner, Pettis & Strout, Ltd. engineering firm. Global enterprise Arcadis acquired FPS in 2003. Rick remained at Arcadis until early January 2016, when he had an opportunity to join a growing laser scanning company called TruePoint.

Rick was one of the earliest workers at TruePoint, and he was instrumental in building the company until Ground Penetrating Radar Systems acquired it. Uninterested in becoming involved in another merger situation, Rick joined Jones & Henry in 2023, a move he describes as fortuitous.

“Jones & Henry was a good move for me,” says Rick. Recognizing the interconnected nature of the industry, he was pleasantly surprised to discover longtime colleagues and friends, such as Ben Drill, Brenda Maloney, Brian Lohmann, Chris Hauser, and Tim Warren, working here.

“Everybody knows everybody in this profession,” he declares.

Having his cake.

On a summer day in mid-July 1978, Mary Jo Rill was resting quietly at St. Charles Hospital. It was her birthday, and she was overdue to have her first child. A nurse on her floor brought in a birthday cake from Haas Bakery, a white cake with white butter cream frosting. Of course, Mary Jo had a piece of cake. Soon after, the baby announced its arrival. Early the next morning, Rick Rill was born.

Rick maintains a unique tradition of celebrating his birthday with the exact white cake from Haas Bakery that his mother had before going into labor—a nostalgic homage that still delights him today.

“I’ve never been a fan of sweets,” proclaims Rick. “I don’t like cookies or candy. But, coincidence or not, I do love cake.”

Rick describes himself as a schedule-prone Type A personality. “I love to be on schedule, and I panic when I’m not.”

Today, Rick lives in a Sylvania townhouse with his fiancée, Lynn. The couple has been together for nearly ten years, long content with their relationship status and not interested in marriage. However, recent medical scares highlighted their dependency on each other and strengthened their bond. Now, they plan to marry next May.

Lynn and Rick enjoy taking day trips and are ardent supporters of small businesses. For their upcoming wedding, they have chosen all female-owned vendors, showcasing their commitment to community and empowerment.

Fitness has also become a central part of Rick’s life; having transformed from weighing 350 pounds to embracing fitness and weightlifting, Rick embodies resilience and commitment. Lynn affectionately calls him “Panda,” a nod to his distinct running style stemming from his childhood hip issues. Rick’s gym mates found out and now use the nickname when trying to motivate him.

Reflecting on his career and personal growth, Rick says he is a dedicated, hard-working person who finds joy in both his job and life outside of work. “My only regret is that I wish I had come to Jones & Henry earlier,” he admits.

But he’s here now, and it’s clear that his journey is just beginning. The best is yet to come.