RYAN VAN LENNING

5974 Racine St. ▪ Oakland, CA 94609 ▪ (510) 219-3349 ▪ vanlenning@hotmail.com

SUMMARY OF KEY QUALIFICATIONS

 5+ Years as an journalist, writer, educator, and community organizer

 Ability to communicate effectively and convincingly on a wide range of subjects
 Self-motivated, able to manage multiple tasks, and to work independently and as part of a team to
accomplish program goals on deadlines

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

STAFF REPORTER/EDITORIAL TEAM

Oakland Local (online community and news hub, winner of J-Lab New Voices grant)

FREELANCE WRITER:
Terrain Magazine: Northern California’s Environmental Magazine, Truthout, MatadorChange, Food
First, EcoLocalizer, Planetsave, Ethical Traveler

BOARD OF DIRECTORS, PLANTING JUSTICE (OAKLAND-BASED FOOD JUSTICE ORGANIZATION)

Social Media & Newsletter Committee, Land Committee, Grant Committee

INSTRUCTOR & PROGRAM COORDINATOR, HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT, SINCLAIR COMMUNITY

COLLEGE, DAYTON, OH (2001-2006)

 Taught successful introductory courses in the Humanities (Environmental Ethics, Philosophy

& Critical Thinking, Comparative Religions, World History)
 Editor Interface: Humanities, Government, and Modern Languages Student Journal
 Interviewed and mentored part-time faculty
 Developed curriculum & increased student enrollment in Humanities classes
 Created department fact sheets & web-pages
 Presentations For Global Awareness Week (2003-2005)
 Faculty Advisor, Sinclair Think Tank

COMMUNITY OUTREACH FOR TRAVELCHOICE PROGRAM , TRANSFORMCA (FORMERLY

TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE COALITION), OAKLAND, CA (2008)

 Informed public about Bay Area alternative transit policy and choices
 Conduct surveys on public transportation use

FIELD MANAGER/ORGANIZER, PEACE ACTION WEST, BERKELEY, CA (2007-2008)

 Led staff crews in canvassing/fundraising and informational briefings
 Trained new staff
 General office management including recruitment, data entry, & maintaining records
 Helped facilitate mobile to Nevada to recruit caucus-goers

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EDUCATION

 MIAMI UNIVERSITY
M.A., Humanities (2000) GPA: 3.8

 INDIANA UNIVERSITY
B.A., Philosophy & Comparative Religions (1996) GPA: 3.6

OTHER SKILLS AND WORKSHOPS COMPLETED

 Knight Digital Media Center – Independent Journalists Workshop (March 2010)

 Computer & Web Skills: WordPress, Basic Html, Data Visualization, Online mapping tools,
Online social media tools,widgets, SEO, FTP, Salesforce, Excel, MS Word, Basics of Final Cut
and Photoshop
 Intermediate Spanish Skills
 MAC Workshop (February 2008)
 Publishing Basics (September 2005)
 Grants 101: Proposal Writing (September, 2004)
 Slaying the Dragon: Computer Hardware Basics (September 2005)
 Introduction to WebCT (September, 2003)

OTHER ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

 Volunteer: Hands on Bay Area, TransformCA (Summit Conference), Backyard Food Project, City
Car Share, Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO), Oxford Citizens For Peace and Justice
 Member: Investigative Reporters & Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, American
Philosophical Association (APA)
 Extensive World Travel: Western and Eastern Europe, Mexico, Central America, India, Thailand,
Kenya, Turkey
 Hobbies: Creative Writing, Travel Blogging, Scuba diving, Guitar, Camping/Backpacking
 Initiated Comparative Religion Department’s Ethics Film Series, Miami University, 1997
 Co-Founder and Member Philosophy Club, University of Northern Iowa, 1994

AWARDS, SCHOLARSHIPS, HONORS

Graduate Assistant Teaching Excellence Award, 1999

Teaching Assistantship, Comparative Religion, 1997-99
Academic Achievement Scholarship, 1997-98
Graduate School Summer Scholarship, 1998-99

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REFERENCES

Susan Mernit
Founder, Oakland Local
889 53rd St., Oakland, CA 94609
650-814-9303
mernit@gmail.com

Gavin Raders
Co-founder and Executive Director
Planting Justice
5252 Claremont Ave. Oakland CA 94618
949 677 6229
plantjustice@gmail.com

Rony Tal
Former Canvass Director, Peace Action West
2800 Adeline St., Berkeley, CA 94703
(310)623-7788 (cell)
rtal40@hotmail.com

Sara Poznik
TravelChoice Coordinator, TransformCA (Transportation and Land Use Coalition)
405 14th St., Oakland, CA 94612
510-740-3150
sara@transcoalition.org

Prof. Luis Gonzalez, Chair, Humanities Department

Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Sinclair Community College
444 W. Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402-1460
(937) 512-3605

Prof. Derek Petrey,

Humanities Department
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Sinclair Community College
444 W. Third Street, Dayton, OH 45402
(937) 512-2092