Brother Fountain, West Florida, previously served as chair for the Department of Accounting and Finance at the University since 2017. 

Fountain received his Bachelor's degree in Accounting at West Florida, and later received a Master of Laws in Taxation from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor from the University of Mississippi. He remained in Mississippi for 30 years, operating in Law Offices of Richard M. Fountain, P.A., which he founded in 1987.

With a passion for educating and creating opportunities for students to thrive, Fountain joined the Department of Accounting and Finance as an adjunct instructor at the University of West Florida in 2009. In 2017, he became the chair for the department.

During Richard's time at the University of West Florida, he has more than doubled the number of students joining the Master of Accountancy program, established the Accounting and Finance Advisory Council, created relationships to recruit more undergraduates, and spearheaded agreements with local colleges to draw hundreds of possible accounting students and recent graduates to the department.