Walt Ritz

Walt Ritz is an executive level nonprofit leader with over 20 years of professional experience. As the Executive Director for Keystone House and former Executive Director of HOPE Community Services, Walt has led these organizations with compassion and consistency. Most notably, Walt led HOPE through the heart of the Covid-19 pandemic by operating one of Westchester County’s largest food pantries, while increasing organizational capacity. Some of Walt’s accomplishments include securing the organization’s largest government grant, securing the single largest individual donation, introducing an array of community-based programming, and creating a positive community profile.

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Prior to his experience as an Executive Director, Walt spent time working at the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, working on the New York state response to Hurricane Sandy. Before his stint at the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, he served as the Housing Resource Program Director for Family Centers in Stamford, CT. While there, he co-chaired Connecticut’s Opening Doors Continuum of Care, which established the Regions first Provider/Landlord Collaborative.

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Walt’s most important role was his experience as a foster parent. In the fall of 2019, Walt and his wife Megan fostered two boys. The experience was life changing and eye opening. Although the boys eventually returned to their birth parents, the experience led Walt to begin the foundation for Sunflower. He believes there is much to be done to create better outcomes for foster children and parents.

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Walt holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Fairfield University and an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Western Connecticut State University. He lives in Valhalla, NY with his wife, Megan.