Courtesy Behan Communications
Ryan J. Moore has joined Behan Communications as CEO.
He will work closely with owner Mark Behan and vice presidents John Brodt, Bill Callen and Bill Richmond to serve clients, expand business, and lead our firm into the future, Behan said.
He will help new and existing clients on state and local government matters, community relations, political strategy and crisis management, areas where he has deep experience.
He comes to the company from Warren County where he served as county administrator and earned statewide and national praise for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moore developed a model response that was admired and adopted by many other local governments.
He developed a strategy to protect the local economy and local government services during and after COVID. Warren County’s vaccination rate was among the highest in New York state and its economy improved during the crisis.
Throughout his career, Moore has been an adviser to federal, state, and local officials of all political parties. He is recognized for his leadership in designing and implementing practical policy solutions to benefit the public. He traveled the country with former Gov. George Pataki, serving as his principal daily briefer, speech writer, and communications assistant. He worked with former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld on his gubernatorial campaign and was a senior advisor on Alexander (Sandy) Treadwell’s Upstate New York congressional campaign.
He has worked closely with the administrations of both Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Before serving in Warren County, Moore was deputy county administrator in Saratoga County and assistant budget director in Westchester County. He is a native of Saratoga Springs.
As county administrator, in addition to managing COVID-related issues, Moore oversaw Warren County’s roughly 800 employees in 32 departments. He was responsible for developing and overseeing the county’s $172 million budget, developing public policy strategies, advising the Board of Supervisors, managing relations with the county’s unions and handling other sensitive personnel matters, and serving as the county’s Freedom of Information Law officer, among other duties.
Behan said under Moore’s leadership, Warren County’s finances stabilized and its public services increased. Its general fund reserves increased by 88 percent, from $19.5 million to $36.6 million, and the county simultaneously reduced the property tax rate from $3.99 to $3.90 per thousand dollars of assessed value. With improved finances, Warren County was able to expand services to the public, particularly for vulnerable citizens who need county government the most, including the services provided by the Public Defender’s Office, the Department of Social Services, the Employment and Training Administration, the Probation Department and the Veterans’ Services Administration.