Ricky A. Moats - currently is the Production Manager at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Chicago, IL. There, he is responsible for overseeing the production logistics of various organizations that showcase a diverse range of original and celebrated music and dance genres. By managing tasks such as budgeting, labor planning, technical logistics, venue management, and vendor management, he contributes to creating a unique experience for the communities in Chicago. Responsibilities extend to coordinating activities not only backstage but also in the lobbies and rooftop spaces where many other special events happen. To ensure smooth operations, he collaborate closely with departments such as marketing, community engagement and enrichment, operations, security, and development.

Ricky is also a proud member of the Board of Directors of Chicago Dance CRASH where is actively forges cohesive partnerships with the executive director, artistic director, and fellow board members and committees to propel the organization forward through strategic fundraising initiatives, meticulous event planning, and impactful community engagement and outreach efforts.

Ricky has an educational background that includes a B.F.A. in theatre design and technology with a focus on theatre and production management, as well as a minor in dance from West Virginia University. Additionally, he pursued further education at Boston University, where he obtained an M.F.A. in Production Management and an M.S. in Arts Administration. Ricky also has acquired several certificates from OSHA related to health and safety in the general industry and evacuation planning and has obtained a certificate in contract law from Harvard University.

Prior to the move to Chicago, Ricky was the former the Assistant Production Manager at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, an Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) venue. There, he actively engaged the logistical planning for everything technical, budgetary, scheduling, and other production related details for multiple touring companies, ranging from Broadway musical tours, concerts, and multiple one-of-a-kind productions, including a Pre-Broadway production of a Neil Diamond musical, “A Beautiful Noise” for audiences of up to 1,700 per show. Alongside working with ATG, he volunteered with TEDxCambridge as their Production Director for their salon production series in Boston most recently at the WBUR CitySpace. As COVID19 happened, it devastated all live events, thus the team worked hard to create interactive experiences through film and post-production editing. After planning intensely with multiple companies to film in a state-of-the-art studio, along with launching an entire new website platform and 4k live-streaming services on multiple devices.

In 2018, Ricky was the Head of Technical Stage Staff for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. on the Allure of the Seas. Each week overseeing staff for twenty-five to thirty production shows weekly with each show having an average audience size of 1,500. These shows ranged from headliner productions, which include artists such as Earl Turner, Lou Gazzara, and Jeff Tracta; musicals such as The Smash Hit Broadway Musical Mamma Mia, and other Royal created productions like the aqua dive show Oceanaria in the outdoor aqua theatre and Ice Games in the fully equipped ice rink blackbox theatre. Prior to working internationally, in 2016, Ricky was the Production and Company Manager for West Virginia Public Theatre, where he oversaw budgeting, scheduling, hiring, safety management, legal terminology for contracting, Actors' Equity policies and procedures, as well as housing and travel needs for the company exceeding well over 70 members.

Ricky is a proud member of the Production Managers’ Forum, Stage Managers’ Association and the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, with previously serving as treasurer for the West Virginia University USITT Chapter (2014). He proudly holds an OSHA 10 certification, OSHA 511 completion certification, OSHA 7105, a Maritime Security Certification, and is certified in Restaurant Food Safety and Handling. Ricky is trained in First Aid and CPR by the American Heart Association, Security Awareness and Crowd Management, Genie and Elevated Platform usage, and is a PADI Open Water Diver.