About

Dr. Kathy Ryan, Treasurer

I was born and raised in Detroit, attending the public schools there through the ninth grade. My family moved to suburban St. Claire Shores, where I graduated from South Lake High School. I then went on to Michigan State University, where I earned a BA in Social Science and an MA in counseling.  I taught for four years at Chippewa Valley High, outside Mt. Clemens, and was a counselor at Roseville High in Roseville for two years. Forty-seven years ago, I moved to SW Florida and took a job with Collier County Schools as a counselor at Immokalee Middle School. During this time I worked on and completed my Doctorate at Florida Atlantic University.  After eight years I moved to Immokalee High as a teacher for nineteen years. My final two years with the system was spent in a district job, as Director of Summer School, where I oversaw a budget of $3 million, hiring over 500 people, and supervising the staff, curriculum, transportation, and food services for a large student population at seven sites around the county.

In retirement I volunteer my time to schools through the High School and Middle School Scholar Bowl Programs, High School Mock Trial, Know Your County Government, and Middle School Debate. I also serve on the Naples Council on World Affairs Outreach Committee, interviewing high school juniors for scholarships to travel abroad for the summer. I am an active member of the League of Women Voters and the American Association of University Women. I was also a Florida Council of Social Studies Board Member from 2003-08.

From January through May of 2017, I served on 4 Social Studies textbook selection committees (American History, American Government, Economics, and Electives: Psychology, Sociology, and geography) for the District.

I have been a member of DWC Collier since 2007, and the Treasurer and member of the Board since 2015.  I am running for a seat on the Collier County School Board.