Ripon gave foundation for adult life to John Bitter ’02

John Bitter ’02 is now the vice president of ticket sales for the Milwaukee Admirals Hockey Club. But when he was looking for a college home, Ripon College quickly fit the bill.

“Taking the campus tour sealed it for me,” he says. “It didn’t take much walking around to pick up on the sense of campus community. Plus, I loved the look and feel of it all. Don’t get me wrong: I was looking for a good education, but what I really wanted was to go to a small, Midwestern college, and Ripon nailed that look!”

Bitter majored in speech communications at Ripon with a minor in English. “As a speech major, I studied rhetorical theory and the means of persuasion,” he says. “You better believe that background comes in handy when selling full-season tickets to a business or when coaching a young sales professional. Plus, my courses at Ripon stimulated and sharpened my critical-thinking skills, which come in handy when looking for ways to improve how the Admirals do business.”

In his current role with the Milwaukee Admirals, Bitter says, “Selling ticket packages and group outings is an obvious part of my job, and one I thoroughly enjoy. But my key role with the organization is working with our sales team, the rest of the organization, and our fans to constantly improve how we get people to come to our games again and again.”

He says his time at Ripon College continues to influence his life. “Ripon provided me great friends, unforgettable memories and experiences that are unique not just to college life but to Ripon College life,” Bitter says. “What I find most rewarding about my time at Ripon is the foundation it gave my adult life. I like who I am and where I’m going. I’m trending in the right direction, in large part thanks to Ripon.”

(Photo: John Bitter (in the red tie) during an event on the ice)