Erin Ryan

Executive Director

Erin Ryan has been with the Sherry Black Foundation (SBF) since its inception in 2017 helping to create partnerships and provide training opportunities for law enforcement.  Ryan’s experience crosses many types of violent crime. She started her career in Colorado working with struggling teens prior to relocating to Utah and focusing on prevention education for childhood sexual abuse. Ryan lead efforts to build community awareness and provide law enforcement with child friendly interviewing locations as well as trauma informed interviewing techniques. She then became a domestic violence advocate and developed community education programs supporting survivors while working alongside law enforcement to bring justice to victims. Prior to joining the SBF, she worked in fundraising for an anti-human trafficking nonprofit.

Ryan was instrumental in getting the Sherry Black law passed by the Utah State Legislature, collaborating with a cross-agency task force to create legislation that received bipartisan support.

She speaks on behalf of the Sherry Black Foundation by encouraging the public to get involved in solving violent crimes by uploading their DNA to approved databases and becoming genetic witnesses. She also works diligently to help bring resources to law enforcement agencies that are small or in rural areas that may be in need of additional training and resources.