A native of south Louisiana and resident of north Texas for the last 20 years, Ryan's family has had a proud tradition of military service, including a great-grandfather who served in the Navy in the North Atlantic in WWI, a grandfather who was a Marine detachment and plank-holder of the U.S.S. Los Angeles (CA-135) in WWII, and another grandfather who was a 1st Armored Division in Korea. He also had several uncles that served in Vietnam. Ryan keeps a Purple Heart in his office that belonged to his uncle, Marine CPL Gordon Molaison, whose duty ended on May 19, 1968, in the Quảng Tri province of Vietnam. When it was Ryan’s turn to enlist, he wasted no time.

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Ryan served in the Louisiana and Texas National Guard as an 11B/11M Infantryman. He served with the 256th Infantry Regiment and the 49th Infantry Divisions for a total of eight years which included a short time attached to the 4th Infantry Division. During this time, Ryan earned his bachelor’s in advertising and design from Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Ryan is a proud, 25-year alumnus of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, a brotherhood of men of music.

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After college, Ryan worked in the advertising industry for various companies, which eventually led him to corporate marketing. He volunteers with several veteran based charities, including Heroes on the Water, Carry the Load, Patriot Paws, 22Kill, Mission Reagan and Autism Speaks. He enjoys speaking to high school and college students about future planning, work place expectations and how to find a job. Ryan also speaks to veterans who graduated from college about the differences between the private sector and military life. Ryan recently had the honor to speak to Special Forces Operators as a veteran representative of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas about how the company values veteran experience. For his efforts, Ryan was named BCBSTX Volunteer if the Year in 2019.

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Ryan is married to Emma Sue Dugas, daughter of an Air Force Chief Master Sergeant. They have two sons and instill a sense of honor and tradition in the daily lives of their boys.