Ryan was born and raised in Gary-New Duluth, he  attended “old” Stowe school and Morgan Park Junior High School.  Many summer days were spent at the “shack” playing baseball in the fields and competing in foosball tournaments.  After Ryan graduated from Denfeld Senior High School in 1995 he attended the University of Wisconsin – Superior, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting, then continued his education at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Business Taxation.  Today, Ryan is a resident of Gary-New Duluth along with his wife and two young daughters.  He works as tax manager for the accounting firm Esterbrooks, Scott, Signorelli, Peterson, Smithson, Ltd., where he works with a wide range of clients on income tax compliance, planning, accounting system consulting and special tax research projects.