Born in the heart of Appalachia, Ryan grew up in Richlands, Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts & Science in Multimedia Journalism with a minor in Music Technology from Virginia Tech, as well as an Associate of Arts & Science with a specialization in Music from Southwest Virginia Community College.Ryan comes to United Way of Southwest Virginia after working to help tell the stories of Appalachia, while keeping the region informed as a producer at WCYB in Bristol. Whether traveling the region watching local high school sports, finding those “off-the-beaten-path” Mom ‘n Pop restaurants, or just taking a Sunday cruise, Ryan has developed a love of our corner of God’s country that has fostered a deep knowledge base of the communities from Ewing to Radford. Ryan is excited to continue advocating for the people of the Appalachian Highlands that helped mold him while working to grow the region through his work with United Way.Ryan lives in Bristol, Virginia with his loving wife of five years, Jennifer, his son (JP) and stepson (James) and their dog Chelsea. When not telling the stories of these mountains, Ryan enjoys driving on the iRacing simulator, attending NASCAR races, bowling, Marvel movies, live music and attending games of his favorite sports teams: the Virginia Tech Hokies, Charlotte FC, Carolina Panthers and Charlotte Hornets.