Ryan Deal

Ryan Deal joined Fairfield County’s Community Foundation in 2022 and serves as Senior Director, Innovation & Community Philanthropy. In this role, Ryan develops and leads initiatives that create new ways for people across Fairfield County to connect with the Foundation, one another, and opportunities to strengthen their communities.

Ryan’s work sits at the intersection of community engagement, philanthropy, and civic participation. He leads several of FCCF’s community-facing initiatives, including The Allies community advocacy network and community-led giving circles, while developing new approaches to engage residents, cultivate partnerships, and expand pathways for people to participate in local change.

Prior to joining the Community Foundation, Ryan worked for the City of Greensboro, NC, where he served as Chief Creative Economy Officer. In that role, he established a new municipal office for arts and culture and led implementation of the Creative Greensboro Cultural Arts Plan, with a focus on expanding community participation and access to public arts investment. Previously, Ryan spent ten years in nonprofit leadership with cultural organizations in Charlotte, NC, including several years as Vice President at the Arts & Science Council, where he oversaw a $7 million annual grantmaking and capacity-building portfolio, and as Director of Advancement at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte.

Ryan received his Bachelor of Arts degree in music studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.