KCC Names New VP of External Programs
Lucas Ritter selected to lead outreach, grants, and workforce initiatives
Celeste and Lucas Ritter (submitted photo)
KLAMATH FALLS – Klamath Community College has selected a seasoned Air Force officer and Klamath Falls native Lucas Ritter as its next Vice President of External Programs.
Ritter, a current Inspector General for the Oregon Air National Guard and 25-year member of the U.S. Air Force, will start May 4. He succeeds the former Vice President Charles “Chip” Massie who stepped down from the position in January.
“I’m a storyteller at heart and KCC has a great story to tell,” Ritter said. “I am excited to take on this role and let the public know all the great things that KCC has to offer our community.”
Klamath Basin roots run deep for the Ritter family, dating back to the 1930s when Ritter’s grandfather stepped off the boat at Ellis Island and settled in the Poe Valley.
“My grandfather Ernest Ritter settled in Hilderbrand in 1927. He came from a small town in Germany called Goldbach,” he said. “We have his ship’s manifest with his name on it.” The family moved several times before settling outside Bonanza in the 1960s, raising alfalfa, grains and cattle. Ritter’s parents, Robert and Patricia Ritter, were both raised in the area and attended local schools.
Ritter currently serves as a Lieutenant Colonel at Kingsley Field. During his two-decade tenure there, he has held a variety of roles, including Director of Personnel, Security Forces Squadron Commander and Wing Executive Officer. He has also served as a Logistics Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Public Affairs Officer. He is currently serving as Inspector General for the Air National Guard. In addition, he has been an adjunct faculty member at KCC since 2009, as a criminal justice instructor.
The Vice President of External Programs is a Cabinet-level position reporting directly to the college President Dr. Roberto Gutierrez.
“On behalf of our campus community, I want to welcome Lucas Ritter to the KCC team. His background in public outreach and strategic planning will be a strong addition to the role of VP of External Programs,” Dr. Gutierrez said. “I look forward to the contributions his experience will bring to the continued growth of the College.”
The position has a long list of responsibilities. The main ones include:
Overseeing a portfolio of foundation, state, and federal grants which support high school General Equivalency Development (GED) attainment, adult basic education, literacy, workforce training, and student benefits, with impacts across the college’s departments.
Overseeing and coordinating operations in neighboring rural counties, including academic/student support services and community outreach.
Serving on the President’s Cabinet and as the college representative on various state and local committees, state and regional workforce councils, policy groups, legislative briefings, state and local committees, school and community boards.
Participating in College shared governance councils and other committees, including chair of Workforce Council, member of President’s Council.
The vice president is the executive director of KCC’s Foundation and lead in its fundraising efforts, and coordinates the KCC Alumni Association.
“The first few months will be spent meeting everyone and listening,” Ritter said. “The job duties are extensive and I hope to learn a lot from the staff. I feel confident that my previous career has prepared me well for this position.”
Ritter holds an associate degree from Oregon Institute of Technology, a bachelor’s degree from Southern Oregon University, and a master’s degree from Boise State University.
He grew up in Klamath Falls and graduated from Klamath Union High School in 1996. He and his wife, Celeste, who is a math instructor at New Horizons School, have two grown sons, Declan, an eighth grade math teacher at Ponderosa School, and Wyatt, a helicopter mechanic with the U.S. Coast Guard based in Astoria. In his spare time, he volunteers at the Gospel Mission, enjoys woodworking and numerous outdoors activities.
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