Ryn is originally from Spokane, Washington and earned a BA in Business from Gonzaga University. Ryn and her husband Hans have lived in Los Alamos for 27 years. She was a stay-at-home mom for 17 years and then worked for the Los Alamos Commerce & Development (LACDC) for the past ten years. While working for the LACDC, Ryn was the Director of the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce for seven years, retiring from that role in August of 2024.
She has been involved in the Los Alamos community in many different areas. Ryn served on the Los Alamos County Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board for 6 years, 5 years as Chair. She has been part of the Bradbury Science Museum Association (BSMA) Board for 8 years, having served as a Past President and currently serving as the Secretary. She started the Gadgets Museum Gift Shop inside the Bradbury as her project for the Leadership Los Alamos program in 2016. Since then, proceeds from the shop have allowed thousands of students from around northern New Mexico to visit the science museum on field trips funded by the BSMA. She was a Girl Scout Leader for 13 years. Ryn also volunteered as a host of the Friday Night Summer Concerts for 4 years. She led the Los Alamos Business Accelerator program for 3 years, helping many entrepreneurs launch successful local businesses. In 2023 she received the Leadership Los Alamos Distinguished Leader Award. She has also been a finalist for a New Mexico Hospitality Association Top Hat Award, for her contributions to local tourism. In 2024 Ryn was awarded the Local Hero Award of Excellence from the Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for her work with the local business community.