Ryan Zuidema is Chief of Police for the Lynchburg Police Department in Virginia. He is a native of Western New York, near Buffalo. He began his career at the LPD in 1997 and held a variety of roles throughout the department until he was appointed as Chief in 2018. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Averett University. Chief Zuidema recently was named as 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. Chief Zuidema is an adjunct professor at Liberty University, where he teaches criminal justice in the Helms School of Government. One of the many ways he engages with the local community is by serving on the boards of several local nonprofits and civic organizations.