A distinguished graduate of Purdue University, Ryan is a practicing Professional Landscape Architect – and self-professed “parks geek” – who serves as the President of both the Friends of Overley-Worman Park (a 501 C-3 non-profit) and FRMWRK Planning + Design in Indianapolis.Passion for the Power of the Public RealmEarly in his career, Ryan discovered his passion for the planning and design of the public realm; the network of "people places" and spaces which stitch a community together and serve as the gatekeeper for its quality of life. Parks - a critical component of any public realm - have been a consistent conduit for this passion. Over the 15 years, Ryan has helped lead the development of more than 15 parks-specific systems planning efforts for municipal and county governments across the United States, which together represent nearly $1B in future “public realm” investment. Ryan has also been privileged to help facilitate the implementation of dozens of individual parks and public spaces with a combined construction cost exceeding $250 million, and has facilitated more than 100 public meetings and/or workshops. Focus on Funding for Parks and Public SpacesSince 2018, Ryan has helped local municipalities secure over $250 million in voter-approved bond funding dedicated to parks and public realm improvements through ballot-based funding measures. As part of these efforts, Ryan worked with the Trust for Public Land’s Conservation Finance Division, local non-profits, political action committees, municipal governments, and multi-disciplinary consulting teams.Research NetworkThroughout his career, Ryan has been afforded the privilege of working with – and learning from – distinguished management and research partners such as the Trust for Public Land, The Project for Public Spaces, the National Recreation and Park Association, the Urban Land Institute, and The National Park Service. An avid traveler, Ryan has visited and studied parks and public spaces in over 20 countries across the world.Ryan is proud to be an active member of the Urban Land Institute’s Health Leaders Network and serves as a parks and public spaces “expert” for ULI’s Advisory Services Program, which provides technical assistance for communities and organizations across the world facing land use challenges. He is also a member of the Project for Public Spaces Placemaking Leadership Council.