Richard Mette was a lifelong residence of Jacksonville, Florida, his family having lived in the area since the early 1800's. His grandfather, Robert Joseph Mette, was a fireman in Jacksonville during the 1901 fire and his father Robert Holland Mette captained a tugboat for over 50 years on the St. Johns River.

Mette went to school and college locally, eventually settling in Jacksonville near the San Marco area where he was born. While in junior college he became involved in politics, working on Bruce Smathers’ Campaign during his bid for State Senate. He later worked as Senator Smathers’ administrative aide. He continued his involvement in local politics and managed Congressman Bill Chappell’s reelection to Congress.

Richard Mette worked for the Amtrak Regional Jacksonville Office during the 1980's and, in 1986, worked in marketing as a lobbyist to maintain Amtrak’s Jacksonville office. He was appointed by Mayor Tommy Hazouri as a Division Chief for the city of Jacksonville and later worked for the State Attorney's Office as an administrator in the Special Prosecution Division targeting consumer fraud in Jacksonville. Mette worked from 1991-2015 in the State Attorney's Office.

Richard Mette was involved in the local Jacksonville community. He was a founder and President of the Northeast Florida Consumer Council. Mette served as a Trustee for the Robert A. Mette Memorial Award and Scholarship, which is awarded annually.

Upon retirement Mette was able to spend more time collecting and selling antiques. He focused on locating historic Jacksonville memorabilia. His goal was to use these special historical treasures to show the history of our city.