Why Ryan?
Lifelong Love of Education
I have a love for learning that was nurtured early in elementary school. Some of my best childhood memories took place at Dogwood or involve teachers and students from there. I was lucky to have amazing teachers at each grade level – from elementary to high school – who taught me the fundamentals, encouraged me to think critically, and inspired me to do more.
My love of learning continues to this day. I am on the Board of Directors for Operation Broken Silence, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs, including funding a primary and secondary school in Yida Refugee Camp near the border of Sudan and South Sudan. In the past, I was part of a team of mentors for students at a public charter school in Memphis. For a time, I also served on a Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County Foster Care Review Board. I also enjoy working with the toddler and preschool Sunday School classes at my church.
Relevant Experience
• Advocate — I advocate on my clients’ behalf every day. I will be an advocate for our schools and children and help ensure their continued success.
• Communication — Communication is key to good legal practice, whether with clients, adversaries, or the Court. I will strive to communicate effectively and often with all stakeholders in the district, including the superintendent, our district office, our school administrations, teachers, students, parents, PTOs, and the community-at-large.
• Cooperation — No lawyer is successful without the team of legal assistants, paralegals, attorneys, and other professionals who work with him or her. Everyone has different strengths on which we should rely, and all have valuable ideas and input. Further, negotiation and mediation are a regular part of my practice, and I will bring that experience with me to the Board.
• Fiscal Responsibility — The practice of law is not just about accomplishing a client’s goals; it also involves responsible management of legal costs. I often develop budgets for legal matters, and I am held accountable for meeting those budgets. On the Board, I will advocate for increased funding for the district and also work with other Board members, our superintendent, and the district office to continue responsibly managing the district’s funds.
“My career in the law has well prepared me
for a position on the Germantown Board of Education.”
Service
I fully appreciate that we live in an incredibly generous and service-minded community. My desire to serve our schools and children (and, by extension, our entire community), is a natural outgrowth of the generosity our community has shown to my family and me.
Fully Invested
I think of GMSD schools as my schools. I attended three schools that are now part of the district. Friends went to the others (or, in the case of Forest Hill Elementary, have children who attend it). Sarah and I will have at least one child in a Germantown school for the next 16 years. I know first-hand the value that our schools provide to our community.