He is a member and former Chair of the Community and Regional Development Panel for the CityFutures program of the National League of Cities.

Prior to being elected as a Seattle City Councilmember, Richard Conlin was Director of the Community and Environment Department at Metrocenter YMCA from 1985 to 1996. Among the programs he led were Seattle YMCA Earth Service Corps, supporting youth development through environmental education and action, and the Master Home Environmentalist, training volunteers to reduce home indoor pollution.

Richard was one of the co-founders of Sustainable Seattle, an organization that publishes the "Indicators of Sustainable Community," and promotes actions that further Seattle's progress towards long-term cultural, economic, environmental, and social health.