In Memoriam - Patrick Paul Ryan
November 30, 1955 - September 8, 2020
From CIGRE President Michel Augonnet, CIGRE Technical Council Chair Marcio Szechtman, CIGRE Treasurer Michael Heyeck, and CIGRE Secretary General Philippe Adam…
Our CIGRE family is saddened by the loss of our dear friend, Pat Ryan, IEEE PES Executive Director. He is responsible for our outstanding partnership with IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) for several years. While our partnership will continue for the ages, his legacy will be with us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
From CIGRE President United States National Committee, David Roop…
It is with sadness that I share with you the news of the passing of Patrick Ryan, IEEE PES Executive Director (2007 – 2020) on September 8, 2020. Patrick was a member of both the IEEE and CIGRE USNC. Like many within our industry, he enjoyed the benefits of professional growth and technical engagement by being involved in both organizations. Since 2000, there has been a Memorandum of Understanding between our organizations to foster collaboration. It has been my honor to work with Pat in furthering this collaboration.
Pat was a kind individual who contributed greatly to the growth of the IEEE Power & Energy Society and cared deeply for our industry. He was always willing to assist with a smile and will be greatly missed. I know CIGRE is also better for his involvement. I have attached below the IEEE PES announcement of his passing in case you missed it. A Memorial on Pat can be found at: Patrick Ryan Memorial, with many comments from colleagues that worked with Pat over the years that demonstrates the impact he has had on so many. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this time.
Announcement by IEEE PES
The IEEE Power & Energy Society is saddened to announce the passing of Patrick Ryan, IEEE PES Executive Director, on Tuesday, 8 September 2020. Pat Ryan was a courageous individual who fought very hard to beat his battle with cancer. He faced this challenge with his usual tenacity and positive attitude, but he was sadly unable to overcome it.
Pat became the third PES Executive Director in 2007 and was a driving force in transforming PES into the second-largest society within the IEEE. He had a relentless focus on the IEEE and PES Mission & Vision and a strong belief that there needed to be significant volunteer engagement to pursue anything new. Pat was recently selected as the 2020 recipient of the IEEE Eric Herz Outstanding Staff Member Award “for leadership in creating a successful model for IEEE and Society memberships by fostering member value and partnerships with volunteers.”
No matter how good an idea was, Pat would not pursue it unless there was significant volunteer engagement. He clearly held the volunteers at the core of the organization. Under his leadership as executive director, Pat drove several significant achievements for PES, including:
- Changed the name of the society from IEEE Power Engineering Society to the IEEE Power & Energy Society to better reflect the PES Mission & Vision
- Increased PES membership from 22,000 in 2006 to more than 40,000 by the end of 2019
- Developed business processes which helped increased PES Reserves which enabled the society to create and establish humanitarian programs
- Founded the IEEE PES Scholarship Plus Initiative which has distributed more than 1,500 scholarships to undergraduate students
- Launched the IEEE PES Resource Centers which provide practical content and educational courses to industry professionals
- Supported the development of the IEEE Smart Village program which integrates sustainable electricity, education, and entrepreneurial solutions to empower off-grid communities
- Established four new publications to meet the growing demand of PES membership - The Transactions on Smart Grid; The Transactions on Sustainable Energy; Electrification Magazine; and The Open Access Journal of Power and Energy
- Expanded the portfolio of PES Conferences to a global audience and inaugurated Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Conferences worldwide
- Fostered the development of the IEEE Smart Grid and IEEE Smart Cities programs
His obituary is available. In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation in Patrick Ryan's name can be made to IEEE Foundation, Memorial Sloan Kettering, or to the American Cancer Society.
Cards should be sent addressed to Mary Ward-Callan, IEEE Technical Activities, 445 Hoes Lanes, Piscataway, NJ 08854. All cards will be sent to the family. Condolences may also be sent via email to pes(@)ieee.org.
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