The Honorable Matthew D. Ritter ’97
September 2023 – Honored as Renbrook’s Distinguished Alumnus in October 2016, Representative Matthew Ritter ’97 is a lifelong resident of Hartford and Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives. He attended Renbrook for seventh and eighth grade and is a member of the Class of 1997.
After Renbrook, Matt went on to Kingswood Oxford and then Colby College, where he graduated with a degree in government. Following graduation, he attended the University of Connecticut Law School, where he served as an associate editor of the Connecticut Law Review and graduated with honors.
Matt was first elected in 2010 to the Connecticut General Assembly where he represents the 1st Assembly District in Hartford. As Speaker of the House, Matt led the passage of a law eliminating the Poverty Tax, which is state liens on people who may have needed state assistance in the past but have since fought their way out of poverty. He also championed a historic investment in children’s mental health. Matt served four years as House Majority Leader and two years as the Co-Chair of the Public Health Committee, where he worked to address the opioid crisis, increase hospital fee transparency, and require more mental health service coverage by the private insurance market.
Since being elected in 2010, Matt has been named one of the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty,” honored by the North Central Regional Mental Health Board, and named a “Community Champion” by the Connecticut Community Providers Association. In addition, he has received the “Graduate of the Past Decade Impact Award” from the UConn School of Law Alumni Association, been named “Legislator of the Year” by the CT Chapter of the American College of Physicians, and been recognized by the Connecticut State Medical Society. The Village honored Matt as a Champion for Children, and his commitment to open government yielded him the Bice Clemow Award from the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), comprised of the state’s municipal leaders, honored Matt as a legislative champion for his commitment to cities and towns.
Prior to being elected to the General Assembly, Matt served on the Hartford City Council for three years, where he chaired the Planning & Economic Development and Legislative Affairs committees. Matt was the 2009 Commencement Speaker at Renbrook School and has volunteered his time meeting with Renbrook students during school trips to the Connecticut State Capitol. Matt is a practicing attorney and resides in Hartford with his wife, Marilyn Katz, their children, Jack and Emma, and their Goldendoodle Finnegan.