Ryan Schwertfeger, circa 2021
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When Ryan isn't at his paid job, he is very active in his community of Oakland, NJ. Ryan worked for over 12 years to bring a dog park to his community of Oakland. His "Dog Park for Oakland, NJ" Facebook page amassed over 1,000 likes and his efforts landed him on numerous local news websites, on the front page of The Bergen Record's Local section, and in his local newspaper as well. His diligence and persistence were widely praised and his efforts and involvement in local politics has earned him praise from both local Republicans and Democrats. At the end of 2020, Ryan was named Oakland's "Hometown Hero" by Congressman Josh Gottheimer due to his work bringing a dog park to Oakland and his other volunteer work in the Borough. The dog park opened on Mother's Day weekend 2021 within Oakland's new Great Oak Park.
Ryan has a passion for wanting to see things work effectively, benefiting the most people, while bringing all sides together to achieve some sort of consensus. As a leader, Ryan has a commitment to making sure that he takes a lead when need be, but that others are also included to not just share in the workload to make everyone's load equal, but that everyone can also have a part in the success or take a lesson away from whatever task was at hand. Ryan values his friends and family very highly and will do whatever it takes to keep, maintain, and grow those healthy friendships and familial connections. Ryan also places high value in regards to his faith as an evangelical Christian, and regularly attends Cornerstone Christian Church in Wyckoff, NJ. Ryan works for the Borough of Roseland, NJ as their Public Information Officer - writing press releases, creating fliers for Borough events, updating the Borough's website and social media, updating their local access television channel, working on special projects for the Mayor and governing body, and advising the Borough how they can improve communications with the community they serve. Ryan graduated in 2017 Cum Laude from Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, PA with a BA as an Electronic Media major from the Department of Communication and a Political Science minor. |
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Ryan is also a Commissioner on the Oakland Communications Commission, a position he was nominated and approved to in June 2017, and then has been unanimously chosen by OCC membership to serve as its Chairman every year since 2018. The OCC handles maintaining the Borough's website, social media accounts, monthly e-newsletter, and local access television station. Ryan has spent much time leading the Commission and revitalizing it by creating a Borough Twitter and YouTube account, bringing on several new commissioners, two commission alternates, creating a Junior Commission member position, relaunching the dormant Borough newsletter in a digital format, re-purposing a space to create an editing and meeting room for commission committees, creating a better layout the control room to improve organization and efficiency, bringing local access television operations internally up to HD standards, making sure both cable systems which serve the community broadcasted the station in HD, worked with a partner to get the local access television channel streaming online 24/7, and created the first 5 year plan to move the Commission further into the 21st century and lay out a vision of action for all on the Commission and within the Borough to follow and strive for.
When a student at Waynesburg University, Ryan served as the News Digest Editor of The Yellow Jacket Newspaper his junior year of college and has written dozens of articles, columns and other pieces for the school newspaper. Ryan was also involved with WCTV, the campus television station, all four years at Waynesburg. He served as the host/main panelist on the Communicator Award winning show The Waynesburg Effect and was also often on the Channel 14 Newscast serving as main anchor or as the weatherman. Ryan also led the planning, production, and hosting of Waynesburg University's first live election night broadcast in November 2016 which received much campus and department faculty wide acclaim. |
Ryan lending a hand pour hot cocoa while working the Roseland Hometown Christmas Celebration in December 2022 (Photo by Neil Grabowsky)
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Ryan is also proud to be an alumnus of the Stover Center for Constitutional Studies and Moral Leadership and was thankful for the opportunities that come from being a part of that program, which included meeting Justice Antonin Scalia and Justice Clarence Thomas, Judge Thomas Hardiman, Fox News TV host Tucker Carlson and NPR commentator Mara Liasson, various Senators, House members, and local faith leaders and political leaders.
At college, Ryan also served as President of the Waynesburg University Student Senate his senior year of college. He led the Senate to have their most legislatively productive year in modern Senate history with 19 total pieces of legislation brought forward and 14 of those passing. Ryan also served as Senate Secretary his junior year and a class senator his freshman and sophomore years. In addition to Student Senate, Ryan also served as President of the Waynesburg University College Republicans from January 2015-April 2017 and served as the club Secretary his sophomore year. He was responsible for increasing the group's overall membership, taking steps to make the club more visible and known on campus, and helping to update the club's Constitution to reflect modern times and best practices from other similar Republican clubs at other area colleges.
Ryan was also written about in a feature length story in his college's newspaper about some of his life experiences and provides an honest look at some parts of Ryan's life and perspective that is very unique.
At college, Ryan also served as President of the Waynesburg University Student Senate his senior year of college. He led the Senate to have their most legislatively productive year in modern Senate history with 19 total pieces of legislation brought forward and 14 of those passing. Ryan also served as Senate Secretary his junior year and a class senator his freshman and sophomore years. In addition to Student Senate, Ryan also served as President of the Waynesburg University College Republicans from January 2015-April 2017 and served as the club Secretary his sophomore year. He was responsible for increasing the group's overall membership, taking steps to make the club more visible and known on campus, and helping to update the club's Constitution to reflect modern times and best practices from other similar Republican clubs at other area colleges.
Ryan was also written about in a feature length story in his college's newspaper about some of his life experiences and provides an honest look at some parts of Ryan's life and perspective that is very unique.
Resume
| Schwertfeger Resume - Spring 2021.pdf |
