Antelope Intros is a recurring GCU Today feature that introduces some of our new employees to the people around them in a way that is fun and informative. Employees are eligible to be featured in the month following their orientation.
CALEB HEITHOFF
Job title: University counselor
Job location: 27th Avenue
What attracted you to GCU? I graduated from GCU in 2016 with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Digital Film with an Emphasis in Screenwriting, so I was already familiar and loved the institution. I also hope to obtain my master's degree from the University.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? Having a fine arts background really got me passionate about performing from an early age. I was heavily involved in Ethington Theatre productions while in school. I still audition around the Valley and create movies with friends I made in the program.
What are you passionate about? Entertainment! I love making people laugh. I also LOVE "Star Wars" and will take on anybody who thinks they are worthy in Star Wars trivia. I also love vintage comic books and superhero movies. I am a facial hair aficionado and change my appearance constantly.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I am a huge Arizona sports fan. I attend as many Suns and D-backs games as I can. I also check out a lot of local car shows, including the Barrett-Jackson. I am a big Comicon fan. Local theater productions are great; so is the Phoenix Symphony.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I still have never visited the Grand Canyon. I had a brief stint performing standup comedy my in early college years, and I ran a DJ company with my brother, Braden, a student in GCU's Worship Arts Program. Between 2012 and 2016 I owned a grand total of nine vehicles (eight of them in one two-year span). I have an absurd amount of knowledge about the Titanic. I was born in Phoenix, but I spent 10 years of my life living in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
What are you most proud of? Being the first person in my immediate family to graduate from college is definitely something I hold as a major life accomplishment, but I didn’t do that in my own strength. So I am going to go with seeing every single episode of "Seinfeld" an astounding (and not exaggerated) 25-plus times.
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ERIC "E.R. or CHIC" RITZHEIMER
Job title: Facilities supervisor (evenings)
Job location: Main campus, Colter
What attracted you to GCU? My friends in management.
What do you do for fun and where do you find that outlet? I am a professional pilot (PA-24 owner), an active member in the Sun Country Corvette Club, a Harley Davidson owner and a team competition enthusiast. I like to travel and ski.
What are you passionate about? I am passionate about being a being a member of one of the largest fraternal men’s organizations in the country, “The Shriners of North America.” We help children with disabilities by flying them to any of our 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children nationwide.
What are your favorite places or events in the Valley that you like to visit? I enjoy the Phoenix Symphony, opera performances, restaurants, Corvette car shows and church.
Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know: I am the owner of Final Flight LLC, a company that offers aerial cremation dispersal services on a local, state, national, and global level, and I am preparing to try to beat the world record in 2019 of Flying a PA-24 from Madagascar, East Africa, to El Paso, Texas, in less than 56 hours, 27 minutes (nonstop).
What are you most proud of? My spiritual relationship with a God of my understanding. I also am proud of my children and my GCU team.
