We want to introduce you to ANOTHER member of the South Bend Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees…this time, it’s our Board Chair, Mr. Ryan Kring. MANY of you already know Ryan as he was born and raised right here in South Bend, and he now makes his home here with his wonderful family! He is passionate about this city and the students of South Bend Schools. Take a moment to learn more about Mr. Ryan Kring…
- Position/Institution: VP|Business Development Ancon Construction
- Number of years in your position: 4
- Alma Mater(s): Washington HS ’98; Purdue University ’02
- Hometown: South Bend, IN
- How many years have you been a member of the SBAA Board of Trustees? 4
- What was the impetus behind becoming a SBAA BOT member? Jamal Henry asked me to get involved with the SBAA Board of Trustees. He told me about the SBAA’s mission and it was a mission that was near and dear to my heart.
- Why are you so passionate about being a board member for the SBAA? I was little unique in that I played sports but was also involved in Jazz Band, Concert Band, Performing Arts and after school extracurricular clubs as well. I know the value of these programs and how each unique experience helped shape me and the impact they can have on our future leaders. When the opportunity was presented to be on the SBAA BOT, I was reminded of how important those programs were and jumped right in. Right now, many of these programs would not be available to our students without organizations like the SBAA.
- On what committee(s) are you currently serving? I am currently the Board Chair for the South Bend Alumni Association. I also serve on the BIG Give Committee and the Golf Committee.
- What do you love most about the SBAA? I love the fact that for every grant we award, the students are required to perform community service as a way to show them the value of volunteering in our community and understanding firsthand what it means to “pay it forward”.
- How do you define success? Success is a team effort. True success is where everyone on the team is elevated and you are able to make a positive impact on your company, your team and then your community.
- Who inspires you? Drew Brees
- If you could choose anyone, living or dead, as a mentor, who would you choose? Abraham Lincoln. I admire his courage to stand up for his beliefs and doing the right thing.
- What’s one thing – either organization-related or not – you learned in the last month? Your goals define position, your positioning accomplishes your goals.
- What’s something about you (a fun fact!) that not many people know about you? I love to home brew craft beer.
- What’s the last book you read? Great Teams-16 Things high performing organizations do differently.
- If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life what would it be? Chicken Lettuce Wraps-PF Chang
- What advice would you give young people as they are making their way through school and considering their future outside school? A lot of business owners I work with never imagined themselves doing what they are doing now. The majority of them once had a job and something sparked them to go off on their own in a different direction. My advice would be to get involved in as many different things as possible to help shape you. Your talent will naturally lean towards one thing over the other. Lastly, while going to college is a great avenue to success, it is not the only path. As long as you follow your passion and talent, with a mindset of continually learning, you will be successful.