LAKE CHARLES -- Rickard Newman, who has toured the United States for the past two years as campaign manager for The Anonymous Us Project – the world’s first story-collective educating people on the harms of third party reproduction – has been named Director of Family Life and Pro-Life for the Diocese of Lake Charles.
Newman, (at left) who attended Orebro University and Stockholm University, has worked in collaboration with The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network on the Anonymous Us Project. He has also been a communications consultant and agency director and successfully led national and international companies and organizations to award winning success and growth.
In December 2011, he and his wife, Alana, (who have a daughter, Visa Selma, and a newly born - June 19 - son, Sean) co-founded Happy Couple Workout, a health and wellness concept that aspires to build strong couples, both physically and emotionally. It is a collection of 24 exercises and includes a 45-minute workout DVD. The pair co-wrote a pocket-sized relationship guide titled Happy Couple Creed: How to Make Your Love Last A Lifetime.
On the U.S. tour, he booked speaking engagements, radio/TV interviews, made viral videos, and provided content for internationally syndicated magazines and news sources using non-religious arguments in support of Catholic teaching on family and reproduction. The work of he and his wife has been featured in Newsweek, The Human Life Review, Psychology Today, Catholic World Report, and on National Public Radio. They have also been invited to speak at the United Nations, Catholic University of America, and The Love and Fidelity Network at Princeton University among others
“Couples today are struggling to navigate a brave new world of romance and family building options,” Newman said. However, he believes his experience and God's providence have given him what he needs to help the Church face these challenges. "I am uniquely prepared to assist in this realm. I am equipped to explain Catholic teachings regarding everything from marriage, sexuality and Natural Family Planning to sperm and egg donation and surrogacy and how these practices impact both individuals and society at large.”
Before coming to the United States, Newman held a number of positions in Sweden. From April 2009 to Nov. 2011, he was agency director and senior consultant at Pronto Communication in Stockholm where directly supervised a staff of 13 developing award winning social media campaigns.
He served as a communication specialist for Diplomat PR, one of Sweden’s leading communications companies from Sept. 2004 to April 2009 and was Editor-in-Chief of Blått Magazine, a quarterly publication in Sweden with more than 30,000 subscribers.
