Memphis attorney John Ryder, a former general counsel for the Republican National Committee who served on the board of the Tennessee Valley Authority from 2019 through the end of last year, has died after a long battle with cancer.
Ryder was active in the state and national Republican parties for decades and served for 16 years on the board of the Republican National Committee.
He was elected in 2020 as chairman of the nine-member TVA board after former President Donald Trump removed then Chairman James “Skip” Thompson along with another former chairman, Richard Howorth, after the two backed giving pay raises to TVA President Jeff Lyash, who Trump said is paid “a ridiculous” compensation package valued last year at $9.9 million.
In a statement Sunday, Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden praised Ryder as “our friend and a true champion for all Tennessee Republicans.
“Ryder has been a confidant of almost every elected Republican in Tennessee for the last half century through his tireless and selfless giving, support and expertise,” Golden said.