Bill Ritter
From dKosopedia
Bill Ritter, a Democrat, was elected governor of Colorado in 2006. Ritter was born in Colorado and raised on a farm east of Aurora, the sixth of 12 children of Bill and Ethel Ritter. Ritter is a graduate of University of Colorado Law School, earning his law degree in 1981.
Public Service
- In 1981, Ritter was hired as a Denver Deputy District Attorney.
- In 1987, Ritter started a three-year commitment to manage and expand a nutrition center in Zambia, Africa.
- In 1990, Ritter worked as a federal prosecutor with the Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office.
- In May 1992, Ritter returned to the Denver DA's Office.
- In 1993, Gov. Roy Romer appointed Ritter as Denver's District Attorney. He was elected to the position in 1994 and re-elected in 1996 and 2000.
As District Attorney, Ritter:
- Established one of the nation's first drug courts;
- Focused on white-collar crime and crime against seniors, and expanded domestic and sexual abuse prosecution;
- Created the nation's first Victim Service's Network;
- Advised the U.S. attorney general on community security following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
Family and Community
Bill and Jeannie have been married for 22 years. They have three sons and a daughter: August, 20; Abe, 17; Sam, 15; and Tally, 13. Jeannie is a substitute teacher with Denver Public Schools.
Bill has served his community as chairman of the board of Promoting Alternatives to Violence through Education (Project PAVE), the Mile High United Way board, the Denver Foundation's Human Services Committee, and the Denver Public Schools Commission on Secondary School Reform.