Richland Community College is honoring the life of longtime Board of Trustees member Tom Ritter, who passed away August 20th.

Ritter, a lifelong resident of Blue Mound, joined the Richland board in 2013 and went on to play a key role in shaping the college’s work in education and economic development. In addition to his service at Richland, he held leadership roles with the Illinois and National Soybean Checkoff Boards, the Macon County Farm Bureau, the U.S. Grains Council, and the Macon County 4-H Foundation.

Beyond agriculture, Ritter co-owned Village Travel with his wife, Diana, while also managing his family farm. He was active on the Blue Mound and Meridian school boards and with several other community organizations.

Richland leaders say Ritter’s leadership, integrity, and dedication left a lasting mark on the college and the community he served. Ritter passed away this week from an incident involving a grain bin.