Originally from rural Manitoba, Ryan has been engaged with the Rural Development Institute since 2002. Ryan’s interests include governance, collaboration, philanthropy, rural revitalization, and immigration/migration.

Ryan was elected President of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation/Fondation Canadienne pour la revitalisation rurale in October 2011. He serves as a board member with the Canadian Community Economic Development Network. Ryan is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.