Rick Gooch
Board Member

Rick Gooch was born in Independence, Missouri and raised in Kirksville. He and his wife, Janet, have three children, Olivia, Andrew, and Ethan. Gooch graduated from the University of Missouri in Kansas City with a BS in Biology and a DDS in 1994. 

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“Education and knowledge are power. This doesn’t have to be formal education, but without knowledge you are handicapped, and it is much more difficult to advance yourself and the people around you,” he says. 

 

Gooch’s family has lived in Adair County since the early 1900s. He was the first dentist that NEMO Health Council hired, and he helped start Northeast Dental Clinic in 1995. He says the secret to living a joyful and fulfilling life is to not put off tomorrow what you can do today.

 

“Seize every opportunity. Life is short, you better make the most of it while you can.”