
Higher Ed GadFly
Pronunciation: \ˌhī-ər-ˈed\ˈgad-ˌflī\
a noun.
1.) An online educator;
2.) A result getting social media and digital marketing overachiever;
3.) An SIIA CODiE Award and Innovation Incubator Program Finalist;
4.) RYAN BUSCH, Higher Ed GadFly (HEGF).
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“Ryan has four qualities that are essential for success in whatever organization he might work or project he is assigned. He takes the initiative, pays attention to detail, follows through and cares about people. When I worked with him in his role at StraighterLine, Ryan always responded to my inquiries and carried out needed tasks and provided essential information. Ryan can shape and solve problems, think critically and possesses excellent written and oral communication skills. I’d recommend him without reservation for consulting work and/or a permanent position. Feel free to contact me at lgould@fhsu.edu.”
Larry Gould | Provost & Chief Academic Officer | Fort Hays State University
“I rarely write recommendations or endorsements but this is an exception as Ryan Busch is a true consummate professional and an avid lover of the edu space. There are thousands “working” in edu, but only a handful live edu and Ryan is one of them! If you get to work with Ryan you find an entrepreneur mindset of a proven leader who also brings to the table industry insight necessary for success in our rapidly changing field.
Nights, weekends, and lunch time are all the same for Ryan: work time; and that’s when you know you have someone fully dedicated to your success! And on top of that, Ryan is also a great guy! If your smart, you’ll keep your eye on him, and if you are fortunate you’ll bring him on your team!”
Steve Cooper | CEO | TeamEDU
“Ryan was an exceptional leader for [Draft Worldwide] in Phoenix. His team respected him and his results were impeccable. I would recommend Ryan for any position and welcome the opportunity to work with him again.”
Melinda Hansbury | Marketing Manager | Draft Worldwide
“Ryan has excellent analytical skills and displayed considerable creativity and flexibility… [he] was able to conceptualize, track, and launch new programs with minimal supervision and frequent distractions… Ryan has excellent communication and program management skills, and is persistent and tenacious when it comes to getting the job done.”
Beth Aguiar| Vice President of Learning Resources | Bridgepoint Education (Formerly Vice President, Apollo Publishing & Learning Technologies |Apollo Group, Inc.)
“I have known and worked with Ryan Busch for several years now. Connecting with Ryan on [a recent] project, StraighterLine, has been a privilege. His professionalism, and attention to detail coupled with his ability to see the big picture and think strategically is truly a rare combination.
Ryan’s knowledge and experience with the higher education landscape is impressive, as is his expertise in the distance education and e-learning fields. He has been a positive influence both personally and for my company and I highly recommend working with him.”
Patty Briguglio | President | MMI Associates
“Ryan has great ideas and boundless energy to execute them. He is undaunted by new technologies and works collaboratively to solve problems. I appreciate all that I’ve learned by working with him.”
Deb Beckman | Vice President, Enrollment Strategies | Education Sales Management
“I have worked with Ryan…for some time now…I found Ryan to be creative, responsive, and very ethical in all of our dealings, and I recommend him to others as a person of integrity… I have continued to follow [his] success.”
Terry Rawls | Vice Chancellor | Jones International University
“Ryan has a unique blend of the skills necessary for successful next-generation education initiatives. I’ve enjoyed working with him and hearing his vision for a future of the industry that is more interactive and blends social media and online marketing in innovative ways. Ryan is definitely at the top of my list in terms of people to follow in the education space.”
Jon Bischke | Founder & CEO | eduFire.com
“Ryan [is] never afraid to take on a challenge and always [goes] the extra mile. His attention to detail and service was very beneficial to helping me manage the marketing needs of multiple [University of Phoenix] campus locations in the Southeast. His professionalism is refreshing.”
Wendy Paul | Director of Change Management | University of Phoenix (Formerly Executive Director of Public Relations | University of Phoenix)
“Ryan was asked to spearhead the development of a new product and business model outside of the standard organizational processes of the company. Such a project is fraught with potential problems. In addition to the challenges inherent in developing a new product and business model, working outside of standard organizational processes on an unproven product requires communication, diplomacy and insight.
Ryan successfully developed the new product, developed relationships with numerous necessary service providers, provided additional product innovations and navigated internal relationships. He is self-directed, motivated, and extremely capable. I highly recommend him.”
Burck Smith | CEO | StraighterLine (founder, former CEO, SMARTHINKING, Inc.)
“I worked with Ryan as a consultant on a major branding / Web project. Found him to be very clear, forward thinking, and extremely knowledgeable about the industry. Most importantly, a “can-do” guy who gets things done no matter the obstacles that are thrown in his way. I highly recommend him.”
Andrea Fuller | CEO | MindFarm
“I had the distinct pleasure of working with Ryan in a period of great turmoil and change in the organization. What I appreciated foremost about our relationship is his steadfast attention to detail; he has the ability to sift for signal in the greatest dissonance of noise. He’s a positive influence on our teams and has a sound business sense that makes him not only a tactical asset to the organization, but a great strategic mind as well. I’m thrilled to have Ryan in my network.”
Peter Wright | Regional Director of Marketing & Enrollment | University of Phoenix
“Ryan was a hard-working, dedicated manager at Draft. His organizational skills contributed to his ability to effectively manage large scale events and his local staff. I’d welcome the opportunity to work with Ryan again in the future.”
Amy Fattori | Senior Account Exectutive | Draft Worldwide
“Ryan is a knowledgeable and professional social media expert. He helped us to refine our social media strategy and did a considerable amount of legwork to help us accurately plan our efforts in this area. We are happy to be implementing this strategy now.”
Shauna Kelley | Marketing Manager | Words & Numbers
“Ryan and I have worked on the launch, and on-going operations of a partnership in higher education. Ryan has worked as a very effective business partner. His knowledge of technology, organizational skills, and ability to meet deadlines has been greatly appreciated by me.”
Dennis King | Director of the Virtual College and Learning Technologies | Fort Hays State University
“Ryan is a tenacious worker and a creative thinker who brings both passion and professionalism to his job. It’s a pleasure to work with him.”
Issac Mowder | Vice President of Marketing | ED MAP
“Ryan is a very out-going person and a strong communicator. He was able to build effective and open relationships with business partners in market to consistently achieve and exceed program goals. Ryan is a strong verbal presenter and comfortably and fluidly communicates with clients.”
Eric Friedman | Account Supervisor| E.B. Lane Public Relations (Formerly Regional Manager | Draftfcb)