Pending approval by the Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday, Brad Ryan will be the municipality’s new public facilities director.
Manager David Sosa said he offered Ryan the job last week, and Ryan accepted. If the assembly approves the hire, Ryan will start Sept. 25.
“What we saw in Mr. Ryan was a really good set of skills, particularly when it came to his understanding of state and federal regulatory practices. He has extensive experience in project management, (and) he has a really good understanding of issues related to mitigation,” Sosa said.
Ryan’s experience with public outreach and public speaking is also a plus, Sosa said. “We felt that was a critical skill we could use.”
Ryan is executive director of the Southeast Alaska Watershed Council. He has also worked for Takshanuk Watershed Council, Chilkoot Indian Association and NOAA. He has a PhD in environmental science and a bachelor’s degree in biology.
Ryan was vying against three other finalists for the job, including ones with experience in municipal public facilities and construction management.
Sosa acknowledged Ryan’s limited experience in heavy construction management, but said the hiring committee felt Ryan’s background and intelligence would allow him to pick up on it quickly.
“We heard what people in the community had to say about him. He’s well respected. He understands our issues,” Sosa said. “He understands the extent to which you have to engage the community with any new ideas or ongoing projects to make sure they are fully informed.”
The hiring committee was comprised of Sosa, Shawn Bell and Brian Lemcke.
When asked Wednesday how he thought his education and experience in conservation and environmental work would translate to the public facilities job, Ryan said he felt he already made the significant transition between scientific research and project management when he stopped working with NOAA and started his jobs with CIA and the local watershed council.
“That was the true transition out of research science and into putting the projects on the ground where you live,” Ryan said.
Ryan said he expects to use the same skills he learned managing culvert replacement and other conservation projects to move along borough work on the wastewater treatment plant, vocational education building, Small Boat Harbor and Lutak Dock.
“I’m looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be an interesting position,” he said.