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During her highly successful career in the Coast Guard, June was a trailblazer, achieving many historical firsts for women, including being the first enlisted woman to rise to the rank of Rear Admiral. She was the first woman to serve as the Military Advisory to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and only the third woman in our nation’s history to serve as the Military Aide to the President of the United States.

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Biography, Education &

Bio

Rear Admiral June Ryan is a success trainer, speaker, and coach drawing upon her 35 years of military service. She holds four formal certifications in the Success Principles - Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want To Be®, by Jack Canfield and co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul®. She leads the Canfield Assisting Teams during the live Train the Trainer programs and holds the highest-level certification, Senior Trainer. Admiral Ryan is also a certified Barrett Values Centre Consultant®, transforming organizations’ workplace cultures to achieve purpose, performance, and profit. Along with other thought-leaders from around the world, she is a contributing author to the Jack Canfield book “Breakthrough Success” which reached Best Seller status on Amazon.

During her military career, Admiral Ryan was a trailblazer, achieving many historical firsts for women – including the first enlisted woman in the Coast Guard to rise to the rank of Rear Admiral, the first woman to serve as the Military Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the third woman in our nation’s history to serve as the Military Aide to the President of the United States.

She served in a wide variety of leadership roles, including five command positions: two aboard Coast Guard cutters and three regional units ashore. She also served as the Chief of Staff of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, an area that encompasses 6 of the 7 continents, 71 countries, and more than 74 million miles of ocean from the U.S. Western States to Asia and from the Arctic to Antarctica. Prior to her retirement in October 2017, June served as the Commander, the Ninth Coast Guard District (Great Lakes Region), leading the 6,000 men and women of the Coast Guard across an area of responsibility that spanned 8 states and a 1,500-mile international maritime border. She again made history as the first woman to hold that assignment. Even her final Change of Command was historic. It marked the first time in U.S. history that a female Coast Guard Admiral was relieved as District Commander by another female Coast Guard Admiral. She continues to serve in uniform frequently volunteering with the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Rear Admiral Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts degree in Adult Education from the University of South Florida. She is a graduate of the National Preparedness Initiative (NPLI) from the Harvard School of Public Health/Harvard Kennedy School of Government. In addition to her four certifications in Success Principles, she holds the highest-level certification from the Barrett Values Center Institute, using powerful metrics to assist leaders in building values-driven cultures in their organizations. In addition to her corporate work, Admiral Ryan takes her work to schools and universities around the country. She has been a guest speaker at several colleges and universities. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Boler College of Business, John Carroll University, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) program, assisting in their executive leadership and communications program.

Her personal military awards include the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Award, two Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legion of Merits, and six Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medals, among many others. She wears the Presidential Service Badge, the Secretary of Homeland Security Service Badge, the Advanced Boat Force Operations pin, and the Coast Guard Cutterman pin.

In recognition of her distinguished military service and leadership, Rear Admiral Ryan was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at Bowling Green State University in September 2023. When not speaking or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her husband of 35+ years, their adult daughter, Aisling, and their dog Lucy.

Bachelors of Science, Biology

Bowling Green State University.

Master of Arts, Adult Education

University of South Florida.

National Preparedness Initiative (NPLI) Graduate

Personal Military Awards

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    The Coast Guard Distinguished Service Award

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    Two Defense Superior Service Medals

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    Three Legion of Merits

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    Six Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medals, and

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    Two Coast Guard Commendation Medals,

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    In Addition to Many Other Unit and Team Awards

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Additional Military Insignias

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    Presidential Service Badge

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    Secretary of Homeland Security Service Badge

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    Command Afloat Pin

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    Command Ashore Pin

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    Coast Guard Cutterman Pin

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    Advanced Boat Force Operations

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Certifications