Keynote Speaker- Ryan Berney- PAAC Student Showcase 2024

Born and raised in Kaimuki, Ryan Berney has been promoting democracy and human rights around the world since 2012. Ryan is a nonpartisan, career civil servant with the United States Department of State, and is currently the Team Lead for the East Asia and Pacific region for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's Office of Global Programs, where he overseas more than $150 million to support democracy and human rights efforts in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

Previously, Ryan was the Director for Human Rights at the White House National Security Council, where he was responsible for coordinating across the White House and federal departments and agencies to integrate human rights issues in U.S. national security and foreign policy decisions and actions. Ryan also served as the Political and Economic Section Chief at U.S. Embassy Port Louis and held numerous positions with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor's Office of Multilateral and Global Affairs, Office of International Religious Freedom, and Office of Global Programs. 

 

Prior to working for the federal government, Ryan worked and/or volunteered at the Honolulu Ethics Commission, Hawaii State Legislature, and community organizations in Hawaii.  Ryan graduated from Kalani High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa with a bachelor's degree in Peace Studies.