Richard Mangelsdorf began his new position as SMART International instructor on November 1, 2023, taking the next step in his union career.
Mangelsdorf became a member of SMART Local 280 (Vancouver, B.C.) in 2001. He worked as a part-time instructor with the Sheet Metal Workers Training Centre from 2008 until 2015, mentoring sheet metal apprentices as he continued to work as a journeyperson. He was elected as a local union trustee in 2009 and a health benefit trustee in 2012. In 2015, Mangelsdorf became a business representative, serving in that position until he became Local 280 business manager/financial secretary-treasurer in 2021.