From Our Area and
Focused on Our Priorities
Ryan Mackenzie was born in Allentown, raised in South Whitehall Township, and graduated from Parkland High School. An honors graduate of New York University, he received a dual degree in Finance and International Business and later went on to earn his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Professionally, Ryan began his career by working on Pat Toomey’s U.S. Senate campaign in 2004. He also worked on a number of other political campaigns and earned his real estate sales license before entering public service and accepting a position at the U.S. Department of Labor. While there, he worked on domestic and international assignments and gained an understanding of labor market dynamics.
Ryan then served as the Director of Policy at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. In this senior management role, he and his staff worked on issues such as unemployment compensation reform, the Uniform Construction Code, workers’ compensation insurance, and workforce development. Ryan also represented the Department of Labor & Industry on the Board of the Team Pennsylvania Foundation, the Environmental Quality Board, and the Pennsylvania Economic Development Financing Authority.
In 2012, after former state Representative Doug Reichley stepped down to become a Lehigh County judge, a Special Election was called and Ryan decided to run for state Representative. He ran a campaign focused on solving the fiscal and economic challenges facing Pennsylvania and was elected with a solid majority after knocking on thousands of doors and talking to voters about positive, pro-growth solutions. Ryan was subsequently re-elected in November 2012.
Today, Ryan serves as Vice Chairman of the House Labor & Industry Committee and also sits on the Commerce, Gaming Oversight, and Tourism & Recreational Development Committees. He has also maintained his focus on fixing Pennsylvania’s fiscal and economic problems by helping implement policies that will lead to job creation in the private sector; reduce the tax burden on families and businesses; and cut wasteful and inefficient government programs.
An active member of the local community, Ryan is involved in a number of charities and non-profit organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for a senior-living apartment complex in Allentown and is Secretary for an education-focused philanthropic organization in Lehigh County.
