Dan Ryan Memorial

DAN RYAN MEMORIAL
Triangle Park at Lake Dr. and Morningside Dr.

Dan Ryan
1894 – 1986
City Clerk to City Administrator
Brought Decorum to City Hall
Dedicated to Miami Springs

Originally hailing from Greenville, Ohio, Dan Ryan was lured to the Sunshine State in 1925 as Executive Assistant Manager for the newly built deluxe Roney Plaza Hotel in Miami Beach. His administrative duties were varied, overseeing everything from the flamingo pink hotel's business office to the cabanas, swimming pool and French restaurant, Les Jardins. The people and management skills he developed there held him in good stead for the rest of his professional life. He was promoted to a new job as General Manager for National Package Stores, and relocated to Miami Springs to raise his family in 1938, when our community boasted 500 residents, a bank and a photography studio.

Urged by his neighbors to run for public office, he was elected to the council in 1944, and served as a councilman for two years, before resigning to work for the town full time as City Clerk. Being City Clerk at that time meant that he was also Miami Springs’ Director of Finance, Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Supervisor of Registration and Clerk of the Municipal Court! Ten years later, Dan became the Miami Springs City Administrator, the town’s top manager, until his retirement in 1964. He was also recognized at the County level for his great capabilities, and was appointed a member of the original board that drafted the charter establishing the Metropolitan Dade County government in 1957. After leaving City employment, Dan worked for another five years at the Hialeah-Miami Springs Savings Bank.

Besides his municipal work, Dan was an active member and past president in many local organizations, including the Hialeah Miami Springs Lions Club, The St. Vincent de Paul Society, Blessed Trinity Catholic Church and the Dade County City Managers Association. For over 40 years his life was dedicated to enhancing and preserving the residential character that makes the Springs a wonderful place to live.