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“IN RECOGNITION OF FRANCINE RYAN FOR HER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CENTRAL OHIO” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1726 on Sept. 23, 2010.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF FRANCINE RYAN FOR HER 50 YEARS OF SERVICE TO CENTRAL
OHIO
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HON. MARY JO KILROY
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Ms. KILROY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Francine Ryan for her almost 50 years of service to the City of Columbus.
Fran began her career as a reporter for the Columbus Citizen working full time while in college. She started as the editor for that newspaper's teen page. In 1956 she married her husband Dick Ryan and they went on to have 5 children--Rick, Terry, Ted, Mary Kay and Tom--
and now they have 11 grandchildren.
In 1970 Mrs. Ryan ran for, and won, a position on the Columbus City Council. During her two terms on the council, Fran helped to lay the foundations for Columbus' many community councils and area commissions and worked to start up food pantries; one of them eventually became the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. She left city council when President Jimmy Carter named her administrator for a 6-state region in the Department of Labor.
After the Carter administration, Mrs. Ryan returned to Columbus and became city clerk. She held that position until being named to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners in 1984 by Governor Richard Celeste. After this appointment expired, she returned to her previous city clerk position.
In 1987 Fran Ryan was named chairman of the Franklin County Democratic Party, becoming the first woman in Ohio to hold that position for either party in any of Ohio's major urban centers. She held that position until 1996. Recently, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman named Mrs. Ryan to be his advisor on senior issues.
During her retirement, Fran has helped found and is acting chairman of the Senior Services Roundtable, a community organization of more than 200 member groups and businesses dedicated to serving our elderly. Fran Ryan is being presented with the Heritage Award for Caring by Heritage Day Health Centers on September 22.
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