30. Desmond Ryan

Desmond Ryan (“Des” to his friends) is a familiar presence to those in the position to make the decisions that affect how LI will look decades from now. A master networker, Ryan presides at the nexus of development and government. Given his lobbying experience shuttling between Washington, D.C. and Albany for Grumman Aerospace, and his previous work for a Suffolk County executive and the Assembly Speaker’s office focusing on LI issues, Ryan is the go-to guy for translating proposals into reality. He’s not afraid to call it the way he sees it. Whether it’s slamming the Coliseum referendum last summer or confronting NIMBYism every day of the week, Ryan will always give it his best shot.