Ryan Barnhart

Ryan Barnhart has served as the Director of Workforce Development for the Highlands Economic Partnership since November 2021.

Ryan serves as the intermediary with education partners and targeted employers to ensure the alignment of education programs with employer needs. To accomplish that end, he manages all Highlands K-12 and Higher Education programs, along with the workplace education and Career Pathway programs. Ryan is also responsible for existing industry visits with employers to ensure that workforce needs are being met.

Before coming to Highlands Economic Partnership, Ryan was a program manager for the State of Tennessee. He managed five vocational rehabilitation training centers located in Cookeville, Cleveland, Maryville, Greeneville, and Elizabethton. He has also been a minister for over twenty years and is currently pastoring Post Oak Presbyterian Church, where he is Moderator of the Session. Ryan is Vice-Chair of the Upper Cumberland Workforce Development Board, as well as the Chair of the UCLWDB Targeted Populations Committee and Vol State CIT Upper Cumberland Advisory Board.

He holds a master of arts degree in Public Policy from Liberty University.

Ryan has been married to his lovely wife Kim for 25 plus years and they have three beautiful daughters: Amelia, Molly, and Kathryn. Ryan is also an avid Ohio State supporter. He was proud to be in attendance at the 2014-15 National Championship game where his Buckeyes won the national title.