Joseph C. Ritchie | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Newport News, Virginia | |
| In office 1976–1986 | |
| Deputy | Lorraine Grillo |
| Preceded by | Harry E. Atkinson |
| Succeeded by | Jessie M. Rattley |
Joseph C. Ritchie was the mayor of Newport News, Virginia for ten years, from July 1, 1976[1] to June 30, 1986. Ritchie was the first Republican mayor for the city; in fact, his election to City Council in 1970 was the first time a Republican had been chosen to serve as a Councilman.
Ritchie's decade as mayor saw significant[quantify] growth in the city.[citation needed] Major improvements[which?] to the infrastructure of the city were carried out during his terms.[citation needed] Ritchie himself considered the lowering of tax rates, a cause with which he was particularly involved in, to be key to growth in the city during this time.[citation needed] In 2017 Ritchie signed a "sister city" agreement with the city of Neyagawa, Osaka, Japan.[2]
After serving as mayor, Ritchie returned to his career as a contractor, as owner and CEO of the Ritchie-Curbow Construction Company.[3] The company is responsible for building several sites of interest in the Hampton Roads area. Ritchie is also a managing member of Newport News Town Center, LLC, responsible for the managing of the city's new City Center at Oyster Point district. In addition, Ritchie is an "organizer-director" of Virginia Company Bank, a new bank expecting to start serving residents and businesses in August 2005.