Wadsworth woman, student appointed to board of trustees

The board of trustees has gained two new members with Ohio Gov. Robert Taft’s appointment of Debra D. Ryan of Wadsworth, and Raquel Colon, an undergraduate student from Curtice.

Debra D. Ryan

Ryan, a 1974 Bowling Green graduate, was appointed to a nine-year term effective in May. She replaces Leon Bibb, a Cleveland television journalist whose term is expiring.

Ryan is co-founder, vice president and secretary of the PDR Foundation Inc., a private, family charitable foundation, and of the PDR Group, LLC, a family limited partnership/investment company. Holder of a bachelor’s degree in biology from BGSU, she worked as a medical technologist until 1980.

Ryan is a member of the national steering and kickoff committees for “Building Dreams: The Centennial Campaign for Bowling Green State University.” She is also a member of the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences Board of Advocates and its strategic planning committee. She has been active on various committees in Wadsworth City Schools as well.

Her husband, Patrick, is a 1974 graduate of Bowling Green in accounting. The Ryans established the Patrick L. and Debra Ryan Endowed Professorship in Biology at BGSU in 2001. Their $500,000 gift to the University in 2004 was divided between the endowed professorship and the entrepreneurship program in the College of Business Administration.

Raquel Colon

Colon’s appointment is for two years, also beginning in May. She replaces graduating senior Matthew Clever as a student member of the board.

A sophomore majoring in political science, Colon is president of the Latino Student Union, a member of the Diversity Leadership Team and has attended the University’s Leadershape Institute.