Director at large: Noreen ryan

Noreen Ryan has been working with First Logistics since 2003 when she was hired to help the owner, Dennis Cole with the start-up of a new business. Prior to working with First Logistics Ryan had various

management and sales positions with Smith Corona, Continental Cablevision/Comcast, DSC Logistics, Fairview Distribution, Jason Storage, NFI, and Return Buy. Her expertise in supply chain services

including general management, executive leadership, information technology, software development, finance, administration and sales and marketing also led her to do a few years of consulting with supply

chain service providers. Customer relationship building has been a special focus in her career. Hiring, training, and developing and mentoring those with interest in a career in warehousing and distribution has been another focus throughout the years. Passionate about technology equipment and software, she introduced her current employer to RF technology for inventory control and distribution in 1990, gaining board approval for a pilot test in the warehouse. And went on to implement the system across their 20 nationwide locations. Ryan has also partnered with a software developer for the last 25 years

and they continue to expand and develop products, doing testing in her spare time.

Ms. Ryan has a B.A. in Business Administration from DePaul University Chicago, Illinois and multiple certifications and logistics seminar certificates from Michigan State University, University of South

Florida, and Loyola University.

Ryan’s contributions to the public and contract warehousing field were recognized by the International Warehouse Logistics Association, formerly the American Warehouse Association when she was awarded

the designation of Certified Logistics Professional in 2010 and in 2017 their EWLP, Executive Warehouse Logistics Professional, the association’s highest level of achievement. She served on a variety of IWLA committees including Education and Technology and served as chair for several of their annual technology seminars.

Ryan has been active in several warehousing, supply chain and distribution associations over the years. She served as a board member for the Warehousing Education and Research Council and as conference chair for their annual conference.

Ms. Ryan served as local president and held several other offices for the Chicago Roundtable of the Council of Supply Chain Management Consultants, formerly Council of Logistics Management, and served several years as an international Roundtable advisor. She led the CSCMP Circle of Excellence, a global mentoring program. She volunteered on the annual conference registration committee for over

20 years.

In 2008, Ryan joined the board of the Chicago Chapter of Materials Handling Management Society and served in various positions throughout the years and recently was president for the last two years,

beginning in August 2020. While VP of Education she developed a scholarship program and funds collected at the various events each year support scholarship awards to students in the material

handling profession.

Happily married to her husband Dennis Ryan, they enjoy travel, cruising, and furthering their education.

Ms. Ryan is also working on a series of children’s books and is learning how to illustrate them. Her first publication, self-published is entitled Red Oak Ram, and has its own web site which is a work in progress.