Ryan Morales

Ryan was born in New York City to Colombian immigrant parents and raised in North Bergen, NJ. He graduated from North Bergen High School in 1994, then attended several schools including William Paterson University and the Institute of Audio Research for his college degree. Earlier in his youth, Ryan served as a Boy Scout and showed signs of being a natural leader. In his teens, Ryan was one of the captains for NBHS Bruin Football Team, an NJ Top 25 Football program–all four years, while also standing out as a community leader in his town. During the early ’90s, he established himself as a well-known entertainer and DJ in NYC’s nightclubs. He worked in the music business for many years and grew a name for himself in the industry. Following a major back accident, Ryan decided to move down to Miami Beach and began his journey as a Floridian in 2007. A diehard Miami Dolphins fan, Ryan always knew Florida would be home for him. Ryan met his wife Tammy in Miami Beach and the two married in 2011. They have owned several different business ventures for the last eight years and moved to Central Florida in 2014. Currently, with DelPuma Consulting Group, they advise local business owners on how to improve their business and marketing. They also develop, design, and print all the marketing materials a business needs to operate. Due to his back accident, Ryan is a Medical Marijuana Patient in the State of Florida and is looking to help improve this nascent system, seeking to get this medicine into the hands of all those who need it the most–people with life-changing illnesses, the elderly, veterans, and public service personnel facing job-related PTSD symptoms. Ryan knows that cannabis can also help control the opioid crisis we are facing as a nation and even curb other addictions people may have. “More guns is not the solution to the problems we are facing with these mass shootings. Gun violence has become the norm here. We need to end this senseless destruction through better education and preventative measures.” Ryan believes in equality, balance, diversity and bringing an end to hate. He has been a Women’s Rights and LGBTQ ally his whole life, having worked with the communities for many years. His deep understanding of the community’s problems faced every day is why he is committed to fighting for the rights of everyone. Healthcare for all is also a major issue for Ryan. “There is no reason why a person should be doomed to a life of debt or bankruptcy just because of a diagnosis; Our private healthcare system is a mess.” Ryan believes there needs to be a better system for all. He also stresses the need for a big push on mental health care, as numerous people have debilitating issues and need proper medical treatment for their illness instead of incarceration or hurting those around them. Ryan’s biggest push is for a better education for our children, which begins with paying our educators a better wage and issuing guarantees based on performance goals that are attainable. He supports giving them the funding they need to run their classrooms and help them teach our children the proper skills needed to live in today’s world. In his community, Ryan’s goal is to help attract new businesses to help boost the economy for the ever-growing Lake County while making sure the environmental impact is reduced at all costs. “We need to think about progress for our communities in order to bring up the economy and attract the right employers that will help us grow our communities with the values we are all seeking. As a result, this will help increase funding for our schools and communities that desperately need help. We need to future-proof our communities for the sake of our children and our children’s children.” Ryan’s goal in the House is to be persistent and put partisanship aside, bringing people together to get things done for Florida. He is focused on creating new jobs, improving economic opportunity for all Floridians, legalizing cannabis, improving our education, and addressing the economic squeeze facing families in all of Florida–most especially in Lake County. “This is not about the left or the right, this is about doing the right thing. My goal is to break down the old partisan barriers that have made Tallahassee so removed from the concerns of everyday Floridians. I plan to reach across the aisle to work on common-sense and fact-based compromises for all issues to help strengthen our communities and save taxpayers money.”