Ryan E. Merkel

Ryan E. Merkel is currently the director of development for Arena Stage, overseeing all aspects of contributed revenue to the theater. Before moving into this position, Ryan was the director of major gifts for Arena Stage. Prior to finding a home at Arena Stage, Ryan held a number of positions at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., culminating in service as the director of individual giving where his work included cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of mid-range and major donors, as well as special event coordination and management of all the Newseum’s annual membership programs. A devoted champion of the arts and culture sphere, Ryan has also held major gift positions at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Symphony Orchestra, and was a member of the Steering Committee of Emerging Arts Leaders of D.C. Ryan is also a Trustee of Synetic Theater in Arlington, Virginia, and a member of the Florida Cicerone Alumni Advisory Council at the University of Florida. Ryan earned a master’s degree in communication management from the University of Maryland, while he also worked as a public speaking instructor and an alumni relations coordinator for the Department of Communication. He is a very proud graduate of the University of Florida and enjoys running the streets of D.C. when he isn’t trying, and inevitably failing, to stay current on the New Yorker.