Lieutenant Colonel Served As Liaison During Fossett Search
Aero-News has learned Lt. Col. Cynthia Ryan, the face of Civil
Air Patrol during the search for famed adventurer Steve Fossett,
has been appointed public affairs team leader for the
organization.
In this position, Ryan will serve as a special liaison for
public affairs between the volunteer leadership and the staff at
Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters. She was appointed to this
position by CAP’s Interim National Commander Brig. Gen. Amy
Courter. In her new national position, Ryan’s stated goal is
"to re-define and refine the role of mission information officer
within CAP."
Civil Air
Patrol’s public affairs program is coordinated by a network
of more than 900 volunteer public affairs officers throughout
CAP’s eight regions and 52 wings and supported by the public
affairs staff at Civil Air Patrol National Headquarters, Maxwell
Air Force Base, AL. A support function, public affairs officers are
nevertheless crucial in promoting public awareness by handling
internal and external communications and media relations for CAP
locally and regionally.
As Nevada Wing’s public affairs officer, a master-level
PAO and a qualified mission information officer, Ryan was the
public face during the search for Steve Fossett, which garnered the
attention of the local, national and international press during one
of the most intense searches in CAP’s history.
The search for Fossett, who went missing during a flight in
Nevada on Labor Day 2007, sparked massive media interest, and Ryan
responded to most of those inquiries. News outlets that featured
Ryan include BBC, London Times, ITN England, Paris Television
Channel 1, Japanese Newswire Service, Russian News Service and all
major American news networks. Ryan received the CAP Meritorious
Service ribbon for her role in the search.
Fossett has not been found and has been declared officially
dead, despite an extensive search by CAP involving 629 flights,
1,774 flying hours and extensive use of state-of-the-art airborne
imaging technology above 22,000-square miles of rugged terrain. The
search officially remains open but suspended pending additional
leads. Ryan continues to work with both national and international
journalists and documentary production teams on Fossett-related
projects.
In addition to her work on the Fossett search, Ryan also
received commendation in the form of an Exceptional Service ribbon
for her role as primary MIO in a 1997 Nevada search. She has
received numerous other wing commendations and awards, including
PAO of the Year.
Ryan’s diverse professional background includes a career
as a newspaper printer. She worked for several newspapers before
moving on to advertising and public relations firms, operating one
of her own in the ’80s. She also is a regionally renowned
artist, with her works shown in such notable galleries as the Palm
Springs Desert Museum, two Nevada Biennial shows, Stremmel and
Hermitage Galleries in Reno, NV and many others.
Ryan is a member of the National Information Officers
Association, the State of Nevada Search and Rescue Board and the
State of Nevada Emergency Operations Center Joint Information
Center (JIC), where she is a qualified ESF 15 (PIO/MIO). She has
completed FEMA's Basic Public Information Officer Course, the US
Air Force Inland Search and Rescue Course and real-time training at
the FEMA Institute.