Rick West (Virginia politician)  Dr. Richard Wayne "Rick" West is an American politician currently serving as the Mayor of Chesapeake, Virginia. Prior to assuming the Office of Mayor in November 2017, West served as a member of the city council for 10 years. West also served as a public school administrator for over 20 years. Rick West was born and raised in rural Chesapeake. Since Rick's father was in the U.S. Navy and deployed often, his mother and grandfather had the primary responsibility of raising Rick, his two brothers and two sisters. The West boys, Rick, Dennis and Steve, and one of his sisters, Karen, still live in Chesapeake, where they have raised their families.