Sheila Ryan

Sheila Ryan is a lifelong resident of Cortland County, where her contributions to the betterment of the region are endless.

For the past six years, she has served the Center for the Arts of Homer as Assistant Director. Ms. Ryan is a true ambassador for the Center, ensuring a first-class experience for patrons and performers alike. Her friendly public persona brings people back, again and again, for a concert, a theater show, private party or event.

In her responsibilities, Ms. Ryan oversees the Center’s renowned hospitality to national touring artists and private event management, including all the planning.

In a year like no other, she has played a major role in keeping the Center active for the community while following safety protocols. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Ryan worked with the team at the Center for the Arts to plan safe and engaging events, activities and programs for the greater community. Among the success stories are a Homer Main Street Art exhibition, Parking Lot Music Performance series, the first live drive-in concert in New York at Dwyer Park, and a variety of arts programs for children and young adults.

Over the past 30 years, when the part is right, she has taken to the boards, lending her acting chops and powerful voice on stage to perform in the Community Theater. For the last 16 years, she has exclusively performed with the Center for the Arts community theater productions.

Ms. Ryan is a board member of the Homer Downtown Business Association and plays an intricate role in encouraging guests of the Center for the Arts to enjoy the many food establishments and businesses that Homer has to offer while they are visiting.

For the past 25 plus years, Ms. Ryan has dedicated her life to supporting individuals who have sustained a traumatic brain injury. While managing the busy art center, she continues to maintain her role as the Traumatic Brain Injury Coordinator for the Centers at St. Camillus/Integrity Home Care. She is never more than a phone call away from the patients she supports.

Family is another area where Ms. Ryan’s commitment is fully on display. She is the proud mother of three daughters, Katherine, Elizabeth, and Annie, and is the doting grandmother of Lucy.