Ryan is a fourth-generation Alaskan. Born in Fairbanks, he spent his childhood in Bethel and Juneau while his father served in the Alaska Legislature. At eighteen, Ryan earned a 100-Ton Master Captain’s License and began work as a Captain in his family’s business, The Riverboat Discovery. In 2000, Ryan earned a BS in Petroleum Engineering and an Associates Degree in Economics from the Colorado School of Mines. Ryan joined the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees in 2012 and joined the Executive Board in 2022. Ryan and his wife, Sabrina, have two children, Simon and Clive. Ryan is a licensed pilot and spends his winters flying helicopters and playing hockey.