Welcoming Rick Hendricks LK ’18

Rick Hendricks LK ’18 Appointed Head of the Locksmithing & Security Technology Department

A proud graduate of the Locksmithing & Security Technology program, Rick Hendricks LK ’18 now leads the department that helped launch his career. Rick brings to the role a deep respect for craftsmanship, an educator’s mindset, and years of hands-on experience at Boston Lock & Safe—the oldest locksmithing company in the United States.

Before studying at NBSS, Rick served in the U.S. Air Force as a Ground Radio Maintenance Technician and later as a Mental Health Technician in the Air Force Reserves. His time in the military sharpened his sense of precision and discipline, qualities that now guide both his teaching and his technical approach. After his service, Rick sought a new professional path—one that offered challenge, creativity, and stability.

Traditional classroom environments, he explains, were never the right fit.  “I flourished at military tech schools. They were focused, fast-paced, and goal-oriented. When I discovered locksmithing, it felt like the perfect combination of hands-on work, clear results, and room for ingenuity.” That search for practical, meaningful work led him to NBSS, where he found a community that shared his appreciation for skill, problem-solving, and purpose.

As a student, Rick thrived under the mentorship of longtime Department Head Barbara Baker LK ’04. “Barb was incredibly knowledgeable and connected to the industry. She taught us that there’s always a way to get a door working smoothly, safely, and with the features the customer wants—it just takes persistence, creativity, and craftsmanship.” With her encouragement, he began working in the field while still in school, and started a full-time position on the same day he graduated.

Rick worked with Boston Lock & Safe from 2017 until 2025, when he took a step back to dedicate himself to teaching at NBSS. His day-to-day work included generating keys and cores, designing and implementing master key systems, and delivering and servicing safes. Over time, his focus has expanded beyond technical skill toward teaching and mentorship. “Ever since graduating from NBSS in 2018,” he says, “I’ve been working to train my colleagues in the solid foundation of techniques and principles that I learned at school.”

That commitment to sharing knowledge is at the heart of his leadership philosophy. “Every piece of door hardware in a building works together as part of a system to achieve specific customer goals, and it’s important to understand what that goal is for this customer before doing something on this door which may undermine it. To do work without understanding what the goal is risks wasted time, frustrated customers, and violations of important safety regulations.” It’s a mindset he aims to instill in every student: thoughtful, systems-based problem solving grounded in a deep respect for safety, craftsmanship, and customer trust.

Reflecting on his journey, Rick says, “NBSS gave me the structure and confidence to build a lasting career. Now I want to make sure our students feel the same—prepared, capable, and proud of the work they do.”

Outside of work, Rick enjoys escape rooms and roleplaying games, activities that reflect the same love for problem solving and communication that defines his professional life.