Commissioner Mike Ritz

Commissioner Mike Ritz was elected to the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in the August 2006 general election.

Mr. Ritz is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.S. in civil engineering and a Master of regional and city planning.  He served as the first Director of the Memphis and Shelby County Office of Planning and Development where he managed a rewrite of the zoning and subdivision ordinances to encourage planned developments to support infill and development of small sites to discourage urban sprawl.  He has consulted with cities on city planning, annexation, and economic development policies.  He is a retired banking executive of Leader Federal and Union Planters, and currently owns Ritz Investments where he manages personal investments, provides city planning and financial consulting and brokerage services.  He is a charter member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.  He recently retired his license as a Tennessee Professional Engineer.

Mr. Ritz has led the efforts of many community-based activities.  He secured the applications for federal assistance for the renovation of the Peabody Hotel and the Orpheum Theatre. He chaired the original Shelby County Emergency Communications "911" Board; began the efforts to help reclaim the Midtown right of way for residential development in the Interstate 40 and Overton Park conflict; chaired the Depot Redevelopment Corporation of Memphis & Shelby County; and chaired Boy Scout Troop 359 Advancement. He is a 1983 graduate of Leadership Memphis and a 2002 graduate of Leadership Germantown.  He belongs to the Cordova Leadership Council, and is a member of the Economics Club of Memphis and the Memphis Chamber of Commerce major roads committee.

Commissioner Ritz is married and they have two children and he is an active member of Germantown United Methodist Church.