Ryan comes to Patch with several years of newsroom experience, most recently with a group of community newspapers in southwest Ohio. He grew up in Rubicon, Wisconsin, a rural farm town about an hour outside of Milwaukee.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2006, Ryan spent much of his free time working at the Badger Herald, the largest independent student newspaper in the country. He served as the daily paper's ArtsEtc. Editor, writing countless columns and articles along the way.
Ryan moved to Oxford, Ohio in 2007, where he received an education in community journalism while covering multiple beats for the Oxford Press, an award-winning weekly newspaper. He became deeply entrenched in local politics, education and police issues and developed a firm grasp of hyperlocal journalism during more than two years with the paper.
He went on to take a position with the Middletown Journal, a daily newspaper with a paid circulation of approximately 20,000. His reporting on a wide range of topics in and around Middletown, Ohio earned him a second place finish as the Ohio Associated Press News Writer of the year for 2009.
When he's not busy working, Ryan enjoys seeing movies, listening to music and taking long walks around the Twin Cities with his wife and their dog. He is also a huge sports fan, never missing an opportunity to cheer for the Wisconsin Badgers and Green Bay Packers.
At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable. This disclosure is not a license for us to inject our beliefs into stories or to dictate coverage according to them. In fact, the intent is the opposite: we hope that the knowledge that our beliefs are on the record will cause us to be ever mindful to write, report and edit in a fair, balanced way. And if you ever see evidence that we failed in this mission, please let us know.
Politics
I would not say my beliefs fall along any party lines, though I do tend to lean toward the liberal end of the spectrum on most issues.
Religion
I was raised Catholic, though I admittedly do not attend church with any regularity at this point.
With the closure of the Eden Prairie Service Center, the Hennepin County suspects traffic at Southdale, Ridgedale and Maple Grove Service Centers will increase.
With the closure of the Eden Prairie Service Center, the county suspects traffic at Edina and Minnetonka centers could increase.
The caucuses are set to take place on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Audiences can travel to ancient Greece as well as southern Indiana over the course of the next two weekends.
The Edina Fire Department's weekly activity report for Jan. 2-8.
Three new tenants, three departures and a number of relocations are slated for the upscale shopping center.
The city council is set to consider the change in late February.
Patch puts your local knowledge to the test.
U.S. Congressman Erik Paulsen sees the Keystone pipeline as a tremendous opportunity.
Have adjusted hours for Martin Luther King Jr. Day? Leave a comment with specifics.
Patch presents a weekly look at open houses taking place around town.
The Edina Police Department's Crime Activity Report for Jan. 2-8.
The Edina location of the popular pizza and hoagie restaurant opened in 1995.
The city expects to have the water main repaired later this evening.
Senior Mathew Berntson skied to a sixth place finish, helping the boys team secure ninth place overall.
Rep. Erik Paulsen answers questions from constituents around the 3rd Congressional District in a weekly video series.
The cast and crew received 11 SpotLight Awards for their rendition of the musical.
The Edina sophomore has been named ICON Dancer of the Year by the Federation of Dance Competitions.
Pepfest clips, advice for college-bound juniors and more are in the latest episode of E-Buzz.
The Edina Fire Department's weekly activity report for Dec. 26 to Jan. 1.