Ryan Zuidema

Ryan Zuidema is Chief of Police for the Wilmington Police Department in North Carolina. He assumed this role in September 2025 after leading the Lynchburg, Virginia Police Department for seven years as Chief of Police and serving that community for a total of almost 29 years. In his role in Lynchburg, he made inroads in community relationships with police by collaborating with other civic leaders and seeking to increase accountability for officers. Before becoming Chief of Police, Ryan championed several internal process improvements, including annual psychological exams for detectives. He also researched, developed, and implemented the department’s body-worn camera program. Ryan is an adjunct professor at Liberty University, where he teaches criminal justice in the Helms School of Government. He served on the board of the Jubilee Family Development Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Virginia, Bedford County Public Schools Safety Advisory Team, CASA of Central Virginia, Exchange Club of Lynchburg, and on the leadership council of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from SUNY Brockport and a Master of Business Administration from Averett University. Ryan is a Fellow of the Civil Society Fellowship and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.