Get to Know Your Elected Officials Series
by KAREN LAGRANGE COX
Before becoming Youngsville’s mayor, Ken Ritter was a general manager and area director in the hotel industry. At the age of twenty-three, he became a general manager for a Marriott hotel franchise. Being a native of Metairie, Louisiana, his work in the hotel industry started in the New Orleans area, and he went on to spend two years in New Mexico before being transferred to Lafayette in 2000.
After falling in love with the area, Ritter moved to Youngsville in 2006. He saw the Youngsville community as having a lot of potential, but he was concerned about the manner in which the city was growing.
As a Youngville resident, he knew he could either wait and watch the city grow or contribute to helping it grow. He felt obligated to contribute to making Youngsville a nice place to live, which is why he ran for public office.
Ritter ran for Youngsville City Council in 2010 and served from 2011 to 2014. In 2014, he ran for Youngsville Mayor, won, and is now in his third term. Once a public servant, he quickly helped devise a plan for the city’s growth and has seen the plan come to fruition.
Ritter’s motivation as a public servant is the reward he receives for being a problem solver. He enjoys doing the best he can to ensure everyone has a great community to live in. He strives to steer the community toward the future and grow it with its residents.
The mayor has been a significant figure in shaping the city’s growth and development. His vision for Youngsville includes continuing to manage growth while preserving the community’s unique charm, improving infrastructure, and expanding opportunities to enhance the quality of life for all residents.
Along with exercising, Ritter is a Saints season ticket holder and enjoys traveling and seeing new places. He and his partner, Hunter, live in Copper Meadows with their Golden Doodle, Jax.
In addition to being mayor, Ritter owns several Anytime Fitness franchises. He enjoys seeing people become the best possible versions of themselves through exercise.
Key Accomplishments
Some of Ritter’s key accomplishments and visions include:
- Infrastructure and Growth Management: One of the mayor’s major focuses has been on managing Youngsville’s rapid growth, particularly with improvements in infrastructure, such as expanding water and sewer utilities, enhancing drainage systems, and addressing traffic congestion, which is vital to accommodate the city’s expanding population.
- Youngsville Sports Complex: Under his leadership, the Youngsville Sports Complex has been expanded and promoted as a regional attraction. This facility is a key driver for local tourism and economic activity, hosting major events such as six collegiate tournaments so far in 2024.
- Economic Development: He has worked to strengthen Youngsville’s business environment by attracting new businesses and promoting local entrepreneurship. Recent efforts like encouraging community participation in Restaurant Week have contributed to the city’s economic vibrancy.
- Quality of Life Enhancements: His administration has focused on making Youngsville a desirable place to live by improving parks, recreational facilities, and public spaces. The Pixus Splash Park, Sugar Beach, Bark Park, and other amenities, such as the revitalization of Foster Park, add to the city’s family-friendly appeal.
- Community Engagement and Transparency: The mayor is known for fostering open communication between city government and residents. His use of social media to keep the community informed about developments and decisions is part of his goal for increased transparency and engagement, along with Leadership Youngsville, now in its fifth class.
For more information on Ritter, visit his mayoral page on the Youngsville website. To contact him, email KenRitter@youngsvillela.gov.
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If any elected official serving Broussard or Youngsville, Louisiana, would like to participate in the Get to Know Your Elected Officials series, please email info@bylocalnews.com.
