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Ryan Zuidema

Chief of Police  
Lynchburg Police Department  
Lynchburg, VA

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Ryan Zuidema is Chief of Police for the Lynchburg Police Department in Virginia. In  this role, he has 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 serves or has 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 is 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 inaugural class of the Civil Society Fellowship, A Partnership of ADL and The Aspen Institute, and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

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