Ricardo Silva, a native of Ribeira Grande, holds a degree in History. He has held managing positions in several public bodies and entities, having served as Regional Director for Housing in the VII and VIII Governments of the Azores (1996-2004), Mayor of Ribeira Grande City Council (2005-2013) and as President of the Administration Board of the Association of Municipalities of S. Miguel Island (2009-2013).
Ricardo Silva also served as President of the then IROA - Regional Institute of Agrarian Planning (2005), which preceded the current public company of the same name.
This entity is responsible for the planning, promotion and implementation of agrarian development works, the development and promotion of land reparcelling, the management of the Regional Agricultural Reserve, and the management of restructuring support programmes in the areas of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Forestry, among others.