ASK A BUSY PERSON: Mika Ryan

Mika Ryan is a forthright, knowledgeable and compassionate dynamo - a woman of many talents and interests who, despite her belief that she's not a good multi-tasker, is able to do so much for so many. A Hopewell resident, she is president of the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission (MCSEC), is in her second year as a color commentator for Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) women's basketball games televised on ESPNU, MSG, Fox Sports NY and ESPN Full Court, umpires local girls' high school varsity lacrosse games, and brings her therapy dog, Hank, on his appointed rounds each week. Before taking on the demanding schedule of a live broadcaster, Mika was very involved in coaching boys' basketball through the Hopewell Basketball Association where she also served on their board.

In 2005, Mika chaired the local organizing committee (LOC) that was instrumental in hosting the NCAA tournament in Mercer County in 2006-the first time the NCAA held women's post-season basketball tournament games at a neutral site. Thanks to the excellent job done by the LOC, the MAAC, Rider University and the Sovereign Bank Arena, the NCAA awarded the 2009 Division I Women's Basketball Regional Finals to the Sovereign Bank Arena. Hosting the Sweet SixteenTM means national exposure and a chance for the area to really shine, notes Mika.

The LOC evolved into the Mercer County Sports and Entertainment Commission and Mika is uniquely qualified to head this non-profit group. A 1977 graduate of the University of North Carolina with a B.A. in political science, Mika was a captain of the Tar Heel women's basketball team and a member of the marching band. After graduation, she was assistant women's basketball coach and head softball coach at the University of Virginia (UVA). It was there that she met Patrick Ryan, a UVA graduate, and in 1981, the couple married and moved to New Jersey.

Mika was assistant basketball coach at Rider University for a year before becoming head coach at Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey) in 1984. In 1993, she retired from collegiate coaching to spend time with her three daughters, Kate, Molly and Megan. Kate is a consultant in Washington, D.C.; Molly is a nursing student at UVA; and Megan is a senior at Hopewell Valley Central High School.

It's worth noting that Pat Ryan, the other half of this dynamic duo, is a Jersey boy with deep roots who is chairman of the Hopewell Valley Community Bank and was himself a featured "busy person" in the August 2006 issue of Mercer Business magazine.

Mika knows that hosting events at our area's great venues is one of the best ways to have an economic impact on the county. The next major event sponsored by the MCSEC is the U.S. Grand Prix of Cyclocross (November 15 &16 at Mercer County Park), described by Mika as steeplechase on a bike. Amateur racers will ride in the mornings and professionals from around the world will compete during the afternoons. And yes, Mika will ride, swapping out a horse for a bike.

She is, after all, an accomplished horsewoman who recently served as president of the American Saddlebred Horse Association of New Jersey and board member of the Eastern Saddle Horse Breeders Association. Thanking both her grandfathers for putting her on their plow mules when she was just a little girl, Mika loves horses, a passion her family shares. Daughter Megan still shows competitively.

Outside the world of sports, Mika is a registered pet therapy volunteer with Hank, her longhaired dachshund whom she refers to as her angel on earth. Mika and Hank are regular visitors to the Cancer Institute of New Jersey Hamilton; Stony Brook Assisted Living; and Hopewell Elementary School, where Hank is a Reading Education Assistance Dog (READ). The READ program operates on the belief that children who struggle with reading become more relaxed when reading to a dog. Mika credits Betty Benton, a reading specialist at the school, with welcoming Hank into the classroom for a few hours each week where he patiently enjoys listening to a story and having his ears twirled.

Mika is a recipient of the 2006 "You Make the Difference" award presented to a volunteer by the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education; the 2006 Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce "Leader of the Year" award; and the 2007 Girl Scouts of Delaware-Raritan Woman of Distinction award in the world of sports. In addition, she is thrilled and honored to begin serving a three-year term on the board of trustees for Rider University, a place that is very dear to her.

Acknowledging that she has been fortunate enough to pursue her passions, Mika embraces the opportunity to give back to the community and the community hugs her right back.

© 2008 Mercer County Chamber of Commerce Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.