Ryan has a background in economic development, affordable housing, neighborhood design, and public finance. As the Executive Director of Housing Next, he helped to define access to housing as a core economic development issue for West Michigan through data-oriented dialogue and partnership with employers, local municipalities, chambers of commerce, and developers. Ryan has 15+ years of experience supporting local units of government, community foundations, and developers with technical assistance and best practice implementation through planning, zoning, process improvement, and the use of financial tools to create economically vibrant communities. He has a Masters in Design from Kendall College of Art & Design and a B.A. in Community Development from GVSU.
