Ryan O’Donnell

Board Member

Ryan is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Chimera Integrations, New York State’s leading commercial security & safety technology integrator and SDM Magazine’s Integrator of Year for all of North America in 2024. Ryan leads the sales and marketing operations & team members across Chimera’s regional offices in Syracuse, Rochester, Albany, Watertown, Massena, Plattsburgh, and Binghamton. Ryan was raised in Syracuse but moved to Miami, FL for college and the start of his professional career before returning to CNY in 2015. 

What other groups are you a part of in the community? In addition to the CNYSME Board, I am also a member of Ronald McDonald House of CNY Young Professionals Board (“Red Shoe Society”), the ERIE21 Advisory Council, the Syracuse STEAM High School Partner Council, the PSA Security Network Presales Engineering Committee, and I serve as a CenterState CEO Ambassador. 

What are your hobbies and interests? My wife Melissa is my adventure partner and we love to travel and explore new cities, restaurants, and seeing live music. 

Do you play any sports? Which are your favorites? I grew up in a sports fanatic family and sports have always been an important part of my life. Growing up, I played lacrosse and volleyball. Nowadays, my most commonly played sports are backyard games like cornhole, KanJam, bocce, and wiffle ball. I’ve played in local cornhole leagues for the last several years. 

Is there an unusual fact about yourself that you are willing to share? After graduating high school I wanted to pursue a career in the scuba diving industry. I took Sports Management and business classes but I also would have scuba diving labs either in the pool or nearby ocean. My degree program also included travel to some Caribbean Islands. 

I like to share this story with young people who are concerned about finding a career path that’s right for them to show that it’s never too late to pivot. I love scuba diving and always will and it taught me a lot about life and professionalism and I still take a lot of those lessons with me today, even after discovering my true career passion is electronic security and safety. 

What is your favorite snack? My favorite snacks usually involve a dip. I’m a big dip guy. Salsa, guac, buffalo chicken… you name it. 

What is your favorite movie or tv show? I usually operate at two ends of the spectrum: either far out sci-fi or horror stories but at other times I love the storytelling of an interesting documentary. 

What is your hype song? I’d probably go with something by the Grateful Dead, Beastie Boys, or a groovy funk or disco song like Prince or Daft Punk.