By Nancy Green
A change in his life’s priorities is the major factor that has led Ryan Lindsay back to his hometown. A history of investing his money since college days and two years in the financial industry has led him to establish a business in Kosciusko.
With the ribbon cutting at 235 North Madison Street last week, Lindsay officially opened his office as an affiliate with LPL Financial, an independent broker-dealer.
LPL Financial does not offer any proprietary products or maintain any investment banking relationships, and Lindsay said he will choose the products and services that best suit his clients’ needs.
“We will work with retirement plans, insurance, or anything that the client needs,” said Lindsay.
After living in California several years during his tenure as pilot of a C-5 cargo plane with the U. S. Air Force, he realized he preferred a small town for raising his family, he said.
“While we were still in California, my daddy built our house. I was ready to come back to God’s country,” said Lindsay.
The Kosciusko native, son of Williamsville residents Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Lindsay, is a 1997 graduate of Kosciusko High School. At Mississippi State University, he was in ROTC training and upon graduation with a degree in marketing, he was commissioned as an Air Force officer.
His first assignment was pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base. Upon receiving his wings he was assigned to Travis AFB California to pilot a C-5 Galaxy cargo jet. His flying took him to over 16 different countries including Europe, Middle East, Africa, Hawaii, Guam, Korea, Thailand, and other destinations. He also flew 40 combat missions over Iraq.
An event that stands out in his mind during his days in the Air Force, is the part he played in rescuing a troubled Russian submarine resulting in his being interviewed by CNN. While on a flight from Spain, the Air Force was asked to assist the Navy in the rescue of a sub entangled in a cable. He flew to the Naval Air Station near San Diego where two robotic vessels were loaded on his C-5 cargo for the flight to Russia. From his plane the robots were transferred to a Russian ship from which they made the descent to free the sub from its entanglement.
He is married to the former Sissy Wilkerson of Pulaski. Their children are Dan, 3, and Lauren, 2. “With my flying and being away from home so much I realized I was missing too much time from our children. That was when my priorities changed. I chose Kosciusko because I love my hometown. This is where I want to be and raise my family,” he said. This was the decision that brought a change in careers and a move to Kosciusko.
After moving here, he worked for a time as a pilot for Delta Airlines, flying out of Atlanta.
At the ribbon cutting, Mayor Jimmy Cockroft and Kosciusko-Attala Development Corporation Executive Director Steve Zeal, welcomed Lindsay and his business to Kosciusko and wished him well in his endeavors.
