Board

Ryan Strain, School Board Position 1

Ryan and his wife, Sarah, grew up in Germantown and returned in 2017 to raise their family. Ryan and Sarah’s primary reason for moving back to Germantown was so they could send their children to Germantown schools.  All three of their sons attend schools within the District.

Ryan attended Dogwood Elementary, Houston Middle, and Houston High (class of 2001). He graduated from the University of Memphis in 2005 with a degree in history and then graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School in 2008. Ryan is a lawyer with a focus on civil litigation, though he has counseled clients on various other matters, as well.

Ryan is passionate about serving others and education.  He has received honors from his law firm for his pro bono legal service and currently serves as his law office’s Pro Bono Committee Chair. He also has been involved with or volunteered for the Dogwood PTO Board, the Dogwood Dads, the City of Germantown’s Historic Commission, the City of Germantown’s Education Commission (as the Board’s liaison), Leadership Germantown, the Juvenile Court of Memphis and Shelby County Foster Care Review Board, the Tennessee Bar Association’s Public Service Academy, the United Way, Advance Memphis, the Hospitality Hub, Nathan Street Ministries, and the Memphis Grizzlies Charitable Foundation TEAM Mentoring Program. He also served on the Board of Directors for Operation Broken Silence, a nonprofit helping to fund a primary and secondary school in Yida Refugee Camp near the border of Sudan and South Sudan. Ryan is also an active member of First Evangelical Church, where he serves on the Memphis Ministries Team.

Ryan served as the Germantown Board of Education's liaison to the Tennessee General Assembly from December 2020 (shortly after his election to the Board) until December 2022. Ryan then served as Chairman of the Board in 2023 and 2024 and as Vice-Chairman in 2025.
 

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Brian Curry, Chairman, School Board Position 3

Brian Curry has been a resident of Germantown since 2007. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, majoring in Transportation and Logistics. In 1996, while in college, he began working for FedEx and after graduation, became an Operations Manager. Brian managed FedEx station operations at multiple locations across Mississippi and the Nashville area. After an 8-year stint in management, Brian moved to FedEx World Headquarters and became a Management Facilitator. In this role, he trained managers and engineers and conducted training and implementations across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America. He currently serves as a Senior Business Strategist for FedEx.

Brian was a founding member of the Forest Hill Elementary PTO, serving on the board as the Legislative Chairman. He was on the Bylaws Committee that helped form the PTO at Forest Hill Elementary and was thrilled to be a part of opening a brand new school. He previously volunteered with the Dogwood Dads as part of the Dogwood PTO. He has served as a Community Advisor on the board of Farmington Presbyterian Day School, a leading preschool program in the city of Germantown that many of our GMSD students utilize for its before and aftercare programs. He has also served in the past as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Cedar Lake Homeowners’ Association. 

In addition to serving as an elected official on the School Board, Brian serves as a Cooperative Weather Observer for Germantown for the National Weather Service office in Memphis, recording daily weather events, precipitation, and storm spotting and reporting.

Brian has been married for twenty-three years to Kristi Curry. They have two daughters, Caroline and Linley. Caroline is in the 12th grade at Houston High School and Linley is in the 8th grade at Houston Middle School. Brian enjoys traveling, diving, playing golf, and being active in the community. He is a proud Eagle Scout. Brian and his family attend Germantown Church of Christ.

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Angela Griffith, Vice Chairman, School Board Position 4

Angela Griffith is a third‑generation Germantown resident whose roots in the community run
deep. A proud product of Germantown schools, she attended Riverdale Elementary and
graduated from Germantown High School in the Class of 1994. She went on to earn a Bachelor
of Arts from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she majored in history and political
science.

After college, Angela completed Family Mediation Certification and began giving back to one of
the organizations that shaped her childhood — the Germantown Youth Athletic Association.
From 1999 to 2003, she served as both co‑director of the association’s softball program and as
a coach. In 2005, she became a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) through Shelby
County Juvenile Court, advocating for children removed from their parents’ custody.

Professionally, Angela has built a long and successful career in foodservice sales and
marketing. She has been with St. Clair Foods, a Memphis based food manufacturer since 2002
where she currently serves as Business Development Manager. Angela and her husband, Brad, married in 2007 and returned to Germantown in 2010 to raise their family. Their two sons, Henry and John David, attend Houston High School as a senior and freshman, respectively.

Deeply committed to Germantown’s schools, Angela has been an active volunteer across
multiple PTAs and PTSOs. At Dogwood Elementary, she supported Springfest and the Book
Fair and served on the 40th Anniversary, Gift, and Appropriations Committees. She is currently
an engaged member of the HHS PTSO.

Her service extends beyond the school system. Angela previously served as 2nd Vice Chair on
the board of Farmington Presbyterian Day School, a preschool that feeds into GMSD. At St.
Louis Catholic Church, she taught fifth‑grade Sunday School for more than a decade. She is a
graduate of Leadership Germantown (Class of 2021) and currently serves on the Germantown
Historic Commission.

In her free time, Angela enjoys traveling, fishing, and listening to live music. A devoted political
and history enthusiast — and an avid sports fan — she cheers faithfully for the Tennessee Vols,
St. Louis Cardinals, and Dallas Cowboys. She hopes to visit every Presidential Library and
Major League Baseball park.

Angela considers it her greatest honor to serve her hometown and its schools. She is a strong
advocate for developing well‑rounded students, empowering teachers, and ensuring safe,
modern facilities that support a wide range of opportunities. She remains actively engaged with
parents and the broader community, believing that the success of Germantown’s schools
directly shapes the future of the city.

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Andy Ellis, TLN Representative, School Board Position 5

Andy Ellis, a long-time Germantown resident, is dedicated to serving the students, families, and educators of the Germantown Municipal School District. Originally from Halls, TN, Andy earned his accounting degree from the University of Memphis and began a career in the mortgage industry. After graduating college and living in East Memphis for 10 years, he chose to make Germantown his home with his wife Leigh, and their three children: Runyan, Byler, and Emme Leigh.

An active member of the community, Andy enjoys coaching youth lacrosse and basketball, playing golf, attending University of Memphis football and basketball games, and spending time at Horseshoe Lake with his family. Passionate about education, Andy envisions a school system that fosters belonging, provides high-quality learning opportunities for all students, and empowers every student to thrive. His mission focuses on supporting educators, cultivating a sense of community, and ensuring a bright future for all GMSD students.

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Billy Gates, Student School Board Representative

Billy Gates has been part of GMSD since first grade, attending Dogwood Elementary, Houston Middle, and now Houston High School. An active and well-rounded student, he is a member of the lacrosse team, orchestra, Beta Club, National Honor Society, and Honors Academy. Beyond the classroom, Billy is an Eagle Scout who regularly volunteers at fellow scouts’ Eagle Scout projects and at Church of the Holy Apostles in Collierville. Passionate about service, he is dedicated to giving back to his community and is honored to represent and serve the entire GMSD student body as Student Board Representative.