Carling Ryan is Director of Strategic Affairs and Operations and the Delaware Healthcare Association, where she oversees organizational operations and human resources, supports advocacy and government relations efforts, and manages DHA’s political action committee.
Carling started her career in the Delaware General Assembly for the Senate Majority Caucus in a variety of capacities, including Special Assistant to the President Pro Tempore and Policy Director. Later, Carling joined the Delaware Office of Women’s Advancement and Advocacy, where she helped develop legislation, policy recommendations, and reports relating to women’s health, workforce issues, and discrepancies in equal pay for women. Most recently, Carling was a Director at Social Contract, a small consulting firm in Wilmington, where she managed a portfolio of social and collective impact projects and oversaw the company’s employee experience and operations. Carling has provided project management and coordination, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and strategic planning support for several organizations and initiatives, including Healthy Communities Delaware, the Family Services Cabinet Council, Delaware State Housing Authority, the Department of Health and Social Services, and others.
Carling holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Spanish Studies. She is an Eastern Leadership Academy graduate and Henry Toll Fellow with the Council of State Governments. Outside of DHA, Carling enjoys boating on Delaware’s inland bays and traveling with friends and family, including her spouse and two dogs.