Ryan McDermott, Patch Staff

Ryan McDermott hails from Southern New Jersey and has reported in New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Washington, D.C., on such diverse topics as green legislation, technology, land-use issues, politics, crime and music. Ryan holds a B.A. from Rowan University in New Jersey and did graduate work in journalism at NYU. He is a voracious reader and a student of the history of journalism. A resident of Takoma Park on-and-off since 2007 and currently a resident of Silver Spring, Ryan hopes to build on the kind of reporting committed by Gay Talese, David Halberstam, Buzz Bissinger, Mike Royko, David Simon, Pete Hamill, Nick Pileggi and Jimmy Breslin.

<b>Politics:</b>

I&#39;ve been a Democrat most of my life and generally trend in that direction, but I judge situations case-to-case rather than adhering to one ideology.

<b>Religion</b>:

I grew up Catholic but feel that religion is a deeply personal issue that shouldn&#39;t be imposed on anyone.

<b>Local Hot-Button Issues</b>:

<i>What do you think are the most important issues facing the community?</i>

The Purple Line is on everyone&#39;s mind here. And environmental issues are a big part of Takoma Park. Since the residents of Takoma Park take an active role in the politics of their community, I&#39;m sure there are a lot more issues that people are passionate about.

<i>Where do you stand on each of these issues?</i>

I&#39;m more interested in where the community stands on the issues. I have a lot to learn about the community and am anxious to get started.