Ryan was president of NFL at Oak Park and earned recognition in both debate and forensics. He used these skills at Bob Jones University, where he was captain of the debate team for 3 years and graduated with a degree in Speech.
After graduation, he became a Legislative Aide in Washington to Senator Kit Bond. In 2005, Ryan was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives and because of his persuasive and collaborative skills, was appointed the House Floor Whip. In 2011 & 2012, Ryan held the challenging and powerful position of Chairman of the House Budget Committee. He is among the youngest in the nation to chair that Committee.
In 2012 Ryan was elected to be a State Senator for this area. He has served public education and the NKC schools well. He has been an advocate for sensible, productive, education-centered legislation. He has returned several times to serve as a judge for the Oak Park Debate Tournament as well as the Mr. Oak Park contest. Ryan is married to Angela, has two children, and he still lives in the Northland.
