The Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute has welcomed Kristin Ryan as Director of Networks and Partnerships.
Ryan will join the Institute in serving 545 Olympia’s Leaders—program participants, 218 Olympia’s Leaders Advisors (OLAs)—business and community leaders serving as their mentors, and 37 School Contacts as they navigate the “My Values” (10th grade), “My Voice” (11th grade), and “My Vision” (12th grade) program that raises the confidence and aspirations of high school girls across Maine.
Specifically, Ryan will manage the recruitment, training, and support of OLAs, School Contacts, and networking guests at Institute events. She will also lead the growing Alumnae Network.
Executive Director Christina McAnuff shared, “the Institute is committed to its volunteers, partners, and graduates and is proud to have added a full-time position dedicated to these critical relationships. Kristin has a wealth of knowledge and experience that will serve them exceptionally well.”
Founder and Former United States Senator Olympia Snowe added, “Kristin’s expertise and impassioned leadership are precisely what the Institute was seeking. I have full faith she will not only enhance support of the adults engaging with program participants but also enrich the experience for our alumnae, as they progress through higher education and move into the workforce.”
Ryan brings over 20 years of experience in education and a demonstrated commitment to girls’ leadership development. Since 2000, Ryan has worked at an all-girls school—beginning in admissions, moving to Student Affairs, and later becoming Dean of Students. Ten years ago, she also founded the Girls Summer Leadership Program (GSLP), which is a weeklong overnight program for rising ninth grade girls nationwide. As both Dean and Program Director, Ryan designed holistic experiences to build leadership skills and develop confidence in teenage girls in ways that are strikingly similar to the Institute’s curriculum.
Ryan graduated Cum Laude from Middlebury College after studying psychology, sociology, and education; she then earned a Master of Education degree in human development and psychology from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.
Ryan commented, “I had found my personal calling to champion every girl to recognize her strengths, cultivate her confidence, and unlock her leadership potential. Then, I found the Institute. I felt an immediate recognition of and connection to its work, and now I am honored to be a part of it. I am looking forward to partnering with the mentors and the schools so they may be successful in their roles, driving the students ever closer to their visions.”