About Samuel Ryan
My Story
From youth civic engagement to federal leadership—a journey driven by a commitment to strengthening organizations that serve the public good.
The Beginning
My career began with a fundamental belief: democracy works best when everyone has a voice.
In my early twenties, I worked with organizations like Mikva Challenge in Chicago, expanding young people's participation in democracy. I watched high school students learn to navigate city hall, advocate for policy changes, and discover their own power to shape their communities. This work taught me that effective change requires more than good intentions—it demands clear structures, committed leadership, and genuine relationships with the people you serve.
Federal Service
These lessons shaped how I approached my work at the U.S. Department of Education, where I spent more than 15 years serving as a strategic advisor to senior executives and leading organizational transformation efforts.
I started in program operations, managing multi-million dollar contracts and learning how federal agencies actually work. I quickly discovered that even the best policies fail without strong implementation systems. This insight drove me to specialize in organizational development, change management, and strategic planning—the infrastructure that turns vision into results.
Key Roles and Accomplishments
Strategic Planning and Performance Management
I served as the lead strategic planner for a 100+ person office, developing comprehensive strategic plans that translated high-level goals into actionable division priorities. I built performance frameworks that integrated measurable outcomes into leadership accountability systems, ensuring our work consistently aligned with the Department's mission.
Change Management and Cultural Transformation
I led a multi-year initiative to embed competency-based development planning across our entire office, achieving over 90% adoption. This required more than just rolling out a new system—it meant building buy-in at every level, training supervisors, creating resources, and continuously adapting based on feedback. The result was a genuine cultural shift toward continuous improvement and professional growth.
Process Improvement and Innovation
I consistently identified opportunities to work smarter. When our office struggled with a major technology platform implementation, I stepped in to rescue a failing rollout and achieved successful launch within five weeks. When hiring timelines stretched too long, I developed an innovative hiring pathway that cut time-to-hire by 50%. When administrative burden overwhelmed staff, I automated processes that freed up 5% of total capacity—the equivalent of five full-time employees' time returned to mission-critical work.
Today
Now I bring these same capabilities to non-profit organizations and local governments through consulting. I've seen firsthand how the right systems and strategies can multiply an organization's impact. I've also seen how change efforts fail when they ignore culture, rush implementation, or lack leadership commitment.
My approach starts with understanding your organization's unique context—your strengths, constraints, culture, and goals. Then we co-create practical solutions that work for your team and build your capacity to sustain progress long after our engagement ends.
Education
Master of Public Administration, The George Washington University
BA Public Policy, DePaul University
Credentials
Excellence in Government Fellow, Partnership for Public Service (2023)
Federal Acquisition Institute Certified Contracting Officer's Representative
Ready to Work Together?
I work best with organizations committed to meaningful change and leadership support for the work.
Let's Talk