JFK alumni Ryan, O'Brien to discuss issues

The officeholders will participate in a panel discussion.
WARREN -- The John F. Kennedy/St. Mary's Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series continues with Mayor Michael O'Brien and U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles at 7 p.m. next Monday at the high school.
Ryan and O'Brien will be hosting a panel discussion on local politics and issues affecting the area. This event is free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions for Ryan and O'Brien.
On Jan. 7, 2003, Ryan, 30, and a 1991 JFK graduate, was sworn in as the youngest Democratic member of the 108th Congress and was the first freshman representative in his congressional class to speak on the House floor. He is co-chairman and founding member of the House Manufacturing Caucus and sits on several House committees.
Background
Before being elected a U.S. congressman, Ryan served as state senator. In the Ohio Senate, Ryan served as the ranking minority member on the Senate Ways and Means Committee. He spearheaded efforts to establish a state-based earned income tax credit, to standardize community school data reporting and to strengthen laws penalizing sexually based offenses. He also established the first Collegiate Political Action Committee to engage young people in the political process.
Ryan holds a law degree from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in New Hampshire. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science from Bowling Green State University.
Ryan is the younger of two sons, both reared by their mother, Rochelle Rizzi, with the help of grandparents, Anna and John Rizzi. He and his wife, Julie, live in Niles.
O'Brien's career
O'Brien, who is serving his first term as mayor, is a 1978 graduate of Youngstown State University where he earned a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice.
He worked for the Warren Police Department for three years as a corrections officer and then was employed by the Trumbull County Family Court for 12 years as a juvenile probation officer.
He also served 12 years as a Warren councilman and 11 years as a Trumbull County commissioner. He has served as precinct committeeman for 20 years, and is a member of the Warren City Democrats.
O'Brien is a graduate of Leadership Mahoning Valley and serves on the Warren Redevelopment and Planning Corporation and the Mahoning Valley Economic Development Corporation.
O'Brien is a lifelong resident of Warren and is a 1973 graduate of JFK. He is married to the former Louise Ann Sarno, who is also a graduate of JFK, and has three children.