Ryan is an experienced economic developer who has held progressively responsible positions across a number of public, private, and non-profit organizations. He most recently served as the Director of Business Development at the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County where he led business recruitment activities in the Asheville, NC area. Prior to this role, Ryan worked in a similar recruitment capacity for North Carolina’s Southeast (NCSE), a regional economic development partnership based in the Wilmington area, and at an economic development consulting firm in Atlanta where he developed economic development strategic plans for chambers of commerce and other organizations from across the country, making him an ideal fit for our county and Durham Chamber.

A native of Eastern North Carolina, Ryan earned a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. He also holds an M.P.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is an active member of the North Carolina Economic Development Association (NCEDA) and the International Economic Development Council (IEDC). He previously served on the IEDC’s Young Professionals Advisory Committee and is a former Co-Chair of the NCEDA Emerging Executives Committee.

An avid writer, Ryan has written articles on economic development topics that have been featured in publications like the International Economic Development Council’s (IEDC) Economic Development Journal, and the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Chamber Executive Magazine.