Meet Ryan

Hi, my name is Ryan LaFountain – here’s a little about me and why I want to continue being your Commissioner of the Revenue.

I was born in Plattsburgh, New York, to 2 working-class parents. My father and mother both worked full-time in order to raise my sister and me, and their tireless work ethic was imprinted on me from a very young age.

I attended college at Baldwin Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, and I graduated with an MBA from Virginia Tech in December 2022. My experience in connecting with students as a tutor helped shape my understanding our how less privileged young people experienced public education – and helped define my understanding of how that impacts their futures. Working on my MBA, I learned about how tax policies drive choices that businesses must make. I believe in creating opportunity at every turn and providing guidance to help people excel in their lives.

For 14 years, I worked in the credit union movement – a movement defined by the motto people helping people. My work with credit union members, whether it’s to help members develop creditworthiness or establishing a personal budget, has demanded that I build trust with members and act with transparency. That trust and transparency enabled strong relationships – relationships that furthered the goal of people helping people.

I moved to Roanoke in 2014 and was immediately welcomed into my new hometown by people who have remained my friends from the day I moved here. The love and support I have received in the decade I have lived here are among the reasons compelling me to seek reelection as Commissioner of the Revenue. For all the support and energy I have received from our wonderful home and neighbors, I feel called to continue paying it back in kind with my service.

So I humbly ask, please help me give back to the city that has given me so much. With your support, I pledge to bring a spirit of service, of people helping people to the office of the Commissioner of the Revenue.