Ryana leads and administers Community Engagement program budgeting and CRM tool as well as supports program evaluations, communications, and grant management. Her role is highly collaborative and capacity-building. Ryana connects big-picture strategic goals with the detailed needs across departments. You may catch her jumping in at Hope events, seeing her colleagues do what they do best! Sometimes referred to as “the glue” or “mycelium” of the organization by her colleagues, she is a good first point of contact for requests on the Community Engagement side of Hope. 

Ryana began at Hope in 2020. She left her home of Colorado to study math and English at St. Olaf College. She attributes much of her learning about the importance and power of strong community engagement processes to working and volunteering at a human rights organization in Mexico (ProDESC) and with a popular education organization in Chile (EPES). 

You can find her running along the Mississippi River, dancing salsa and bachata, or weaving decorative wall hangings in her free time.