OHIO Southern graduate DJ Rymer turns service into a way of life

On a recent December day, volunteers began to trickle into the Boyd County Convention Center in Catlettsburg, Kentucky, for a Harvest Pack meal-packing project.

Organizers knew they needed 200 people to assemble 50,000 meals in two hours. By 6 p.m., they were still short.

“We were nervous,” said Ohio University Southern alumnus D.J. Rymer. “We prayed about it and thought, if our community is as caring as we say it is, we won’t have anything to worry about.”

Then, at about 6:15 p.m., Rymer looked up from moving boxes and saw a wave of people coming through the doors.

“I went to the lady checking folks in and she said, ‘We have 356 volunteers, D.J. We have people we weren’t even expecting, and they’re still coming in,’” he said. “We were blown away.”

For Rymer, a 2022 Ohio University Southern graduate and first-generation college student, that night, when volunteers packed 51,520 meals for neighbors in need, captured what he believes about community, service and the power of showing up.

Everyone can make a positive difference

“There’s an old saying that one person can’t change the world, but you can change the world for one person,” he said. “That’s truly what I believe in.”

That belief traces back to his childhood. Rymer grew up in Ashland, Kentucky, where his father works as a sanitation truck driver for the city.

“My dad has one of those thankless jobs. You come in and work hard every day,” Rymer said. “He taught me from a young age the value of hard work, dedication and giving back to the community.”

Early in his father’s life, tragedy reshaped the family. Rymer’s father lost both of his parents when his mother was killed by a drunk driver and his father died of a heart attack six months later. Thrust into the role of caregiver for his six brothers and sisters, he relied on the city and its people to help his family through that loss.

“Because of that, I feel like giving back to my community is something I should do, something everyone should do,” he said.

When the opportunity came to pursue college, he first enrolled at Ashland Community and Technical College (ACTC). After earning two associate degrees, he transferred to Ohio University Southern.

“It was extremely smooth,” he said of the transfer process. “The partnership that ACTC and OU have built over the years is really strong.”

At Ohio University Southern, Rymer enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Applied Management with a business concentration.

“I picked the business concentration because it offered me a variety of opportunities and career paths,” he said. “I would encourage students who want to get into business to hone in on the topic that fits their interests. Mine was business management because I hope to get into local government management one day, like a city manager or city administrator job.”

Beginning a career in public service while still in college

Even before graduation, Rymer was already working in city government. He served as programs and grants specialist for the City of Ashland, managing federal Community Development Block Grants.

“The experience I gained at OU, especially the management side and the project management course I had there, allowed me to better manage the projects I was in charge of at the city,” he said.

One of the most important experiences of his OHIO Southern education came through an internship course with instructor Jeremy Clay.

“We were tasked with finding an internship in a career field we would love to see ourselves in,” Rymer said. “I thought local government would be an opportunity because I had a little experience in local government and wanted to further that experience in something different.”

After initially looking at private-sector options, he followed his instincts.

“I thought to myself, ‘I’m more comfortable in local government, and I want to try something new there.’ So I reached out to the City of Ashland’s HR department and asked if they had an internship. They did.” The placement gave him a view of day-to-day human resources work he had never seen before and shifted how he thought about his future.

“I would encourage students to look at internships if there’s an option, whether it’s in a business program or any program,” he said. “It gives you real-world experience, not just pen and paper.”

Ohio University professors challenged and supported him as a student

Rymer is quick to mention the professors and instructors who supported him throughout his time at OHIO Southern and across the regional campuses.

“I had some tough classes,” he said with a laugh. “One professor was really tough, but it was a good tough. It was the kind of tough that really tested me.” Math, he admitted, was especially challenging.

“I’m not a big math guy. Math is one of my subjects that I struggle with,” he said. “But the professors there and the instructional assistants were so helpful.” Their support made all the difference.

“If there was a question I had at 9 p.m., I could send an email and they would get right back to me,” he said. “They were very accessible.” That accessibility, he said, helped him succeed while working full time.

“I worked 9 to 5 and volunteered extensively in the community, but I still had an opportunity to get a world-class education online,” he said. “The online classes were flexible and fit my schedule.”

As the first member of his family to earn a college degree, Rymer said walking across the stage at Ohio University Southern to receive his bachelor’s degree felt especially meaningful. He carried both his own efforts and his family’s hopes with him.

“When you walk across the stage, knowing that your family worked so hard to get you to where you are and that you’ve worked so hard to make your family proud, it is special,” he said. “I was able to do something they couldn’t do, either financially or because of their situation. It was a blessing, and Ohio University made it happen.”

Devoting his days to public service

Today, Rymer’s days are grounded in public service on both sides of the Ohio River. He now serves as human resources director for the City of Ironton in Ohio, wearing what he calls “multiple hats” in a small local government.

“In my role, I am over human resources and safety,” he said. “You get to see the inner workings of the human resource side. My role is heavily safety-oriented, making sure our workers are safe, our community is safe and that employees have what they need to be safe.”

He also manages insurance for nearly 100 full-time employees and works closely with three unions representing general city employees, police officers and firefighters.

“One of my main focuses has been to have a safe work environment,” he said. “Another focus is being the best steward of tax dollars.”

Back in Ashland, Rymer serves as the youngest person ever elected to the Ashland City Commission and as mayor pro tem.

Ask Rymer about his community involvement and he jokes, “Do you have time?”

He serves on the boards of Build Ashland and American Red Cross Tri-State Chapter, as well as the Daffodil Springtacular Committee. He also volunteers as a firefighter and treasurer for the City of Catlettsburg Volunteer Fire Department and supports organizations such as Ashland Community Kitchen, the Ashland Senior Center, the Young Professionals Association of Northeast Kentucky, the Ashland Breakfast Kiwanis Club, the Ashland Rotary Club, and C.B. Knuckles Black History Museum and Federated Charities.

“It is a long list,” he said. “The community helped my dad’s family when they needed it. Now it’s my turn.”

When he speaks with young people who want to make a difference, Rymer encourages them to start local.

“I would suggest going to your local Kiwanis club, Rotary club or Lions club,” he said. “Go to those events. In today’s world, everything is extremely social media-driven, so you can find those events on social media.”

Changing lives for the better, one person at a time

Service does not have to be complicated, he said.

“In our community, we have a lot of people who are struggling,” he said. “If you simply lend a hand to a person, you will change their life. You could potentially change your life.” He offers similar advice to students considering Ohio University Southern or transferring from a community college like ACTC.

“Look at the opportunities that are there,” he said. “The transfer process was easy for me. The professors were accessible. The online classes were flexible. And the experience gave me real-world tools I use every day in local government and community work.”

He also tells students not to rule themselves out if they are older, working or managing family responsibilities.

“You are never too old to learn,” he said. “Continuing education can make us better employees, and it makes us more well-rounded as people, no matter what field we are in.”

Rymer is putting that belief into practice. He completed Leadership Kentucky’s BRIGHT Kentucky program, a regional leadership initiative that helps emerging leaders from Eastern Kentucky deepen their understanding of local economic challenges and build skills in collaboration and community engagement. He is also about four classes away from completing a Master of Business Administration from the University of the Cumberlands.

From a first-generation student balancing a full-time job and night homework to a city commissioner and human resources director serving two river communities, Rymer returns again and again to the value of simply showing up.

“That Harvest Pack event reminded me what can happen when people care about their neighbors,” he said. “We thought we did not have enough volunteers, then the doors opened and they just kept coming.”

As he sees it, that same spirit runs through his work, his education and his service.

“One person might not change the whole world,” he said. “But you can change the world for one person. And that is more than enough reason to keep going.”