Ryan Crider, Ph.D., joined Metropolitan Community College, Kansas City, in 2018, having served as dean of instruction and vice president for instruction and student services before becoming president of MCC-Longview in July 2024. He has worked in higher education for more than two decades, including the community college space for the last 15 years.
Before coming to MCC, Crider worked at two-year colleges in Louisiana, Missouri and South Carolina. His first full-time position was at South Louisiana Community College in Lafayette, where he served as an English instructor. At East Central College in Union, Missouri, he served as developmental studies coordinator, working with colleagues in English, math and reading to facilitate best practices for students placing below college-level coursework. He also was department chair for English and Languages at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
A Missouri native, Crider holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Missouri State University, as well as a Ph.D. in English from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He is also a graduate of the American Association of Community Colleges’ Future Presidents Institute.
As president of MCC-Longview in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Crider is involved with community engagement across the campus’ service area. He serves on the boards for both the Lee’s Summit and Raytown chambers of commerce, as well as the St. Luke’s East Hospital Board, the Lee’s Summit Economic Development Council board and the Truman Heartland Community Foundation Lee’s Summit/Lake Winnebago Advisory Board.
During Crider’s first year as Longview president, he was recognized with a Paragon Award for new presidents from the Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society.