Location: Battle Creek, MI
My Story: Ryan Hersha is a proud Battle Creek native, dedicated teacher, and passionate community leader. When he was younger, Ryan attended both Battle Creek (Franklin Elementary) and Lakeview Public Schools. After earning a BA at The University of Michigan and an MA at The University of Virginia, Ryan returned to Battle Creek to teach at the college he first attended and give back to his hometown. In 2003, Ryan and a small but committed group of idealistic volunteers ran a hard-fought campaign for the Battle Creek City Commission and, against all expectations, won — by only 11 votes! Since then, Ryan has been delivering on his platform of responsible government and independent, forward-thinking leadership, earning support from people across the political spectrum. He has also proven himself to be a responsive, accessible commissioner, helping people to know they have a real friend at City Hall. In 2005, the people of Battle Creek elected Ryan again, this time on the at-large ballot. Among some of Ryan’s notable accomplishments on the City Commission are the following reforms: A “Best Value” contracting policy, ensuring that the public’s dollars are spent responsibly (passed unanimously, 2007) A strengthened prevailing wage ordinance, protecting working families (passed unanimously, 2005) A Code of Ethics for Battle Creek City Commissioners (passed 2004) The Battle Creek Climate Protection Policy (passed unanimously, 2007) The National Journal has described Ryan as one of the “stars to watch in the future.” The Cincinnati Enquirer has mentioned Ryan as one of “Eight to Watch” among young elected leaders nationwide. Professionally, Ryan teaches web-based leadership development courses for Young People For and still enjoys teaching the occasional English class in traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. To learn more about Ryan’s 2007 campaign, email ryan@hersha.org or call him at 269-830-9116. From hersha.org: Ryan Hersha is a proud Battle Creek native, dedicated teacher, and passionate community leader. When he was younger, Ryan attended both Battle Creek (Franklin Elementary) and Lakeview Public Schools (class of ‘91). After earning a BA at The University of Michigan and an MA at The University of Virginia, Ryan returned to Battle Creek to teach at the college he first attended and give back to the hometown that gave him so much. In 2003, Ryan and a small but committed group of idealistic volunteers ran a hard-fought campaign for the Battle Creek City Commission and, against all expectations, won – by only 11 votes! Since then, Ryan has been delivering on his platform of responsible government and independent, forward-thinking leadership, earning support from people across the political spectrum. He has also proven himself to be a responsive, accessible commissioner, helping people to know they have a real friend at City Hall. In 2005, the people of Battle Creek elected Ryan again, this time on the at-large ballot. Among some of Ryan’s notable accomplishments on the City Commission are the following reforms: * A “Best Value” contracting policy, ensuring that the public’s dollars are spent responsibly (passed unanimously, 2007) * A strengthened prevailing wage ordinance, protecting working families (passed unanimously, 2005) * A Code of Ethics for Battle Creek City Commissioners (passed 2004) * The Battle Creek Climate Protection Policy (passed unanimously, 2007) The National Journal has described Ryan as one of the “stars to watch in the future.” The Cincinnati Enquirer has mentioned Ryan as one of “Eight to Watch” among young elected leaders nationwide. Professionally, Ryan teaches web-based leadership development courses for Young People For and still enjoys teaching the occasional English class in traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms. To learn more about Ryan’s 2007 campaign, email ryan@hersha.org or call him at 269-830-9116!
Birth Date: May 8th
Issues: Civil Liberties; Civil Rights; Economic Growth; Education; Election Reform; Energy Policy; Environment; Good Government; Healthcare; Military Issues; National Security; Retirement Security
Registered to Vote: Yes
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Political Identification: Progressive