As freshman at SPU in 1994, I became a student senator for Moyer Hall. That launched my four-year involvement with the ASSP, and my decision that if I saw a need, I should try to meet it and help others.
I took those same ideas into my 12 years of voluntary military service and six years of volunteering as a reserve police officer in my hometown of Beaverton, Oregon. It wasn’t always easy to fit in those roles as I started a family and grew in my professional marketing career. But there was a need, and I had an aptitude, so I gave of myself freely.
In 2011, I was invited to become a charter member of the board of directors for the Spirit of Blue Foundation. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance officer safety and vitality throughout the law enforcement community. With tax revenues declining nationwide, the Foundation’s goal is to stand in the gap and raise funds to award safety grants to departments from local to federal levels.
As an officer of the Foundation, I now serve as the vice chairman for leadership and development. I donate 10-15 hours a week toward the endeavors of the foundation, in addition to my full-time career in the marketing and new product development field.
I am happy to lend my skills and leadership to this endeavor because of the acute need that law enforcement officers have as they perform their duties. With four generations of my family serving in law enforcement, I saw this as a tremendous opportunity to help, if only in a small way, the more than 900,000 law enforcement officers who stand in service to our communities.
—Ryan Smith '98
