Looking to enhance its relationship with the Des Moines community, Drake University is pleased to welcome Ryan Arnold to the position of neighborhood and community engagement manager.

In his new role, Ryan will establish partnerships between the University and the city, serve as the primary contact for residents and business owners in the Drake Neighborhood, and strive to strengthen the overall economic development and vitality of the area.

Ryan, who previously served as the senior minister at First Christian Church and lives in the Drake Neighborhood, has a deep understanding of the community.

“My family and I have called the Drake Neighborhood home for the last four years,” said Ryan. “I’m looking forward to combining my love for this community with my passion for Drake and continuing to move toward a more equitable, neighborly future.”

Ryan’s position will play an instrumental role in the University’s recent development projects, like the construction of a hotel, apartments, urban-style row houses, and retail space along University Avenue and the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Boys and Girls Club on the southwest corner of 25th Street and Forest Avenue.

Ryan’s office is located in the Alumni House. He can be reached at ryan.arnold@drake.edu. Please welcome Ryan, his wife Kristyn, and their two children, Jack and Ellie, to the Bulldog family.