Oklahoma City FAA Center director will retire after 40 years in federal service

Ritz joined the FAA in 1979 and was named director of the center Jan. 5, 1997.

“I have been blessed to have had a marvelous career, culminating with 33 years at the aeronautical center. The support the community has given us is amazing. It has been so exciting to watch the center grow and flourish because of talented, passionate and committed individuals,” Ritz said.“Thank you to both the federal work force and the community. You are all very special people.”

The center, at 6500 S MacArthur Blvd., employs more than 5,800 federal and contract employees and has a total budget of $1 billion annually. It is known for its academy, where all FAA air traffic controllers are trained, but also provides a logistics center, accounting operations and financial systems, information technology services, media solutions division, aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul, supply chain management and contracting opportunities through its office of acquisition services.

Vic Bird, director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission, hailed Ritz as a trailblazer who rose to the top of the nation's airspace system at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center.

“She did that in a world that was rather male dominated — the aviation world,” he said. “It shows how well thought of she is and how outstanding she is. She's a trendsetter and a path maker for women, who we need in aviation just as bad as we need good and qualified men.”