Administrator Ritter, whose unexpected career path led him to city leadership after decades in water management and agriculture advocacy. “I spent 36 years with the South Florida Water Management District. My background in responsibilities with the water management district was in water and natural resources, and that’s my area of expertise,” Ritter recalls. His transition to local government began after his retirement in 2014. “At that time, I was asked if I would run for city council and I said, I will.” Ritter served as a council member for four years while simultaneously beginning a new chapter with the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. “They came to me and said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in working for us?’ For six and a half years I worked with agriculture, with all the various local farm bureau organizations, and I represented them at state government meetings and local government municipality meetings.” The path to his current role came unexpectedly in 2021.“When the administrator for Okeechobee left, the council asked me if I would consider coming in and being their administrator. We agreed to try that out for about three months. And I guess four years later, here I am.” Despite lacking formal training in city administration, Ritter embraced the challenge.“I didn’t go to school to be a city administrator, but I have learned through baptism by fire. I took this job because I have lived and raised my family in the city of Okeechobee. I’ve been here for almost 48 years now, and I love the city. I felt like I could make a positive contribution to our community.” LOOKING AHEAD: PRIORITIES FOR OKEECHOBEE’S FUTURE With a clear vision for Okeechobee’s development, Ritter has identified several key priorities for the coming years, focusing on infrastructure, economic development, and strategic planning. 97 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 03 OKEECHOBEE, FL
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTI5MjAx