Ryan MacLean has worked with the public all her life, from managing some of Nova Scotia’s busiest restaurants to her work building volunteer programs and managing events and communications in the nonprofit sector. For the last three years she has built volunteer programs that connect communities to nature through land stewardship, employing an engagement organizing model. Her work employing this distributed leadership model for volunteer programs has received national attention and is used as a case study for other organizations looking to empower local communities to take action through volunteerism. Ryan is a systems-thinker with strong interpersonal skills and a passion for people and the environment. A deep listener by nature, Ryan’s approach to engagement seeks to ensure that all voices are heard and valued.

Ryan is a graduate of the Dalhousie School of Planning where she completed an honours degree with a double major in Environmental Planning and Sustainability. She started with Upland in February 2021.