Ryan Wilcken has deep ties to the Thompson School District. He was born and raised in Loveland; attended Sarah Milner Elementary, Walt Clark Middle School and graduated from Thompson Valley High School. Ryan and his wife Tracey have three children all attending public schools, two of whom are on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Their son is in 7th grade at Walt Clark Middle School; their youngest daughter is a freshman at Thompson Valley High School and their oldest daughter is a senior attending Colorado Early College.
Ryan knows firsthand that children today are dealing with more complicated situations than in the past. His experience supporting their children’s IEPs has taught him that it is critical that parents are respected as partners in the education system. He believes commitment, acceptance, communication and most importantly trust are the foundation of success. Ryan wants to support our teachers and ensure that parents and guardians voices are respected because he believes the schools and parents can work together to support our children and teach them what is needed to be successful.
Ryan is an Electrician, with 24 years’ experience; his Thompson education prepared him for his successful career. In his role as a project manager, Ryan enjoys taking projects from paper to completion, focusing on the customer’s needs, quality of work, and delivering projects under budget.
Ryan is also an engaged volunteer. He has chaperoned several middle school dances, and volunteered for many holiday events as well as school field trips. He was an assistant coach at the Thompson Valley Wrestling Club for 5 years, never missing a practice or a tournament and leading many children to medal in the sport. He also coached his children’s football and soccer teams over the years. He and his family attend Lifespring Church in Loveland and Ryan is a member of the Safety Team.
Ryan comes from a long line of veterans and knows it is important to serve your community. His Aunt Laurie is a retired schoolteacher and inspired Ryan to always pursue success in school; he wants to use that inspiration to ensure each student has the same opportunity to succeed Ryan was given.
Ryan is excited to serve on the Thompson school board to ensure parents are treated as partners in the education of their children, staff are respected, and students are the focus of every conversation. Ryan knows firsthand how important it is that every student is ready to succeed after high school. With three school aged children, Ryan will focus on ensuring our children learn in an environment that is focused on their individual educational needs, as well as their safety while supporting their academic achievement.
The desire to run for the District A seat, comes from Ryan and Tracey’s own experiences navigating the educational needs of their two children with special needs. Learning and understanding the IEP process is intimidating and complicated. Ryan wants to take the experiences they have had and guide the district to streamline the IEP process and make it parent and student friendly.