24th Annual UNCF Leader’s Luncheon – South Florida

Michael J. Ryan was elected Mayor of Sunrise in August 2010, and returned to office without opposition in 2012, 2016 and 2020. He earned a B.B.A., majoring in Finance, from The George Washington University, and a Juris Doctorate, summa cum laude, from The Case Western Reserve University School of Law.  In law school, Mayor Ryan organized a national project to assist Haitians seeking asylum with legal assistance in Miami.   At graduation, based upon his work during law school on behalf of the community, his classmates gave him the “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award”. 

Mayor Ryan has long been an active resident of the City of Sunrise. Mayor Ryan served as a PTA President for two years and as an Executive Board Officer for an additional two years with the Sawgrass Elementary PTA; a volunteer coach over many years for youth soccer, baseball and flag football; volunteer coach for high school varsity girls soccer team; and two terms as Chair of the Education Advisory Board for the City of Sunrise.

In addition, Mayor Ryan is an appointed member of the Broward County Regional Planning Council; served as chair (and prior vice-chair) of the Broward County Consolidated Communications Committee (regional emergency 911 communications); served as co-chair of the Communications Working Group for Strengthening Police-Community Relations; served as chair and past vice-chair of the Public Safety Committee for the Broward League of Cities; served as co-chair of the Broward County League of Cities’ Joint School Resource Officers Task Force; served as co-chair of the Broward League of Cities’ School and Community Public Safety Taskforce; and served as a member of the Broward County Chiefs of Police Association Committee on Domestic Violence Injunction Process. 

Mayor Ryan has received awards for his work in the community and is a frequent author regarding matters of public importance. Recently, Mayor Ryan received the “Sustainable Civic Leader of the Year” Award from the GreenCITYSummit24 hosted by City Furniture as well as the Environmental Champion Award from the Broward Sierra Club.   His work promoting scholastic and community-based chess initiatives has been the subject of local, national and international news coverage. Mayor Ryan’s efforts, along with that of the City Commission and City staff, led to the City of Sunrise earning the national title of “Chess City 2015” by the United States Chess Federation and the development of the Sunrise Center for Excellence in Chess. In 2014, celebrating his roots that go back to Ireland and his status as first generation American, Mike was named “Irishman of the Year” by the Emerald Society of Fort Lauderdale.

Mayor Ryan is also a lawyer who is president and founder of Michael J. Ryan, P.A. In 2019, Mayor Ryan was awarded the Broward County Bar Association’s “Walter G. ‘Skip’ Campbell, Jr. Lawyer-Public Servant Award.” Aside from his successful law practice, Mayor Ryan has been an active force in the lives of many in our community. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors and Secretary to the Board for Women in Distress for Broward County.  His charitable works include running marathons for charity, helping gather goods and supplies to assist Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake, traveling to Haiti to volunteer after the earthquake, traveling overseas to volunteer at a U.S.O. Wounded Warrior Center, and a 900-mile bike ride to benefit, among others, wounded soldiers and their families.