Leadership
Those of us who work at the Eagle Academy Foundation bring a variety of experience and backgrounds, united in a shared passion and vision of an educational landscape that empowers every young man of color to succeed.
Foundation Team
Office of the CEO
His 28+ years of service began right out of Oberlin College and led him from citywide educator training and college-access pipelines to the Eagle Academy Foundation, where he has touched over 40,000 lives across 60+ cities.
Contact the Foundation →Guiding Our Work
The Eagle Academy Foundation’s work is made possible by the leadership and generosity of our distinguished board, whose dedication to our mission is evidenced by their personal and financial commitment to empowering young men of color.
Partner
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLPIndependent voting member since 2009Managing Director
Formerly Credit SuisseIndependent voting member since 2011Executive Vice President
Citizens Bank / Retired Executive, Former JP Morgan ChaseIndependent voting member since 2015Head of Fixed Income Platform Sales
Citadel SecuritiesIndependent voting member since 2025President, Founding Chapter
One Hundred Black Men / Former VP/CFO NY YankeesIndependent voting member since 2024Vice President, Workforce Development and Engagement
Turner ConstructionIndependent voting member since 2024Senior Manager
American ExpressIndependent voting member since 2024Retired Executive, Consultant
Evans Consulting – Specialty Human Resources LLCIndependent voting member since 2012Segment Leader, National HOA & Property Management Banking / Senior Managing Director
Webster BankIndependent voting member since 2023President
Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY)Independent voting member since 2026Chair & CEO
UniWorld GroupIndependent voting member since 2018Partner
Gibson, Dunn & CrutcherIndependent voting member since 2012Management Trustee
Ntozake Shange TrustIndependent voting member since 2004Tech Operating Executive / Public Board Director
Tech InvestorIndependent voting member since 2020Vice-President of Philanthropy
Khan AcademyIndependent voting member since 2015
Donald M. Ruff, Jr. is the President & CEO of The Eagle Academy Foundation (EAF). As a charismatic visionary, Donald has spearheaded initiatives and organizations including the Eagles Soaring Beyond (ESB) initiative, focused on college readiness, workforce development, financial empowerment, and social-emotional learning. Donald made significant strides during his tenure at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), where he was progressively promoted from Tenth Grade Program Coordinator to Director of the Scholars Program. As a leader and director, Donald helped lay the foundation for the Scholars Program, a Saturday-based program assisting public school students in gaining admission to and graduating from the most selective colleges and universities nationwide.
As President and CEO at The Eagle Academy Foundation, Donald impacted over 40,250 young men of color across 65 cities nationally. His proven record includes supervising teams of postsecondary counselors across the Eagle network tasked with maintaining and enhancing the postsecondary readiness culture at their respective academies. He is the architect and driving force behind EAF’s “All-Male College Fair,” which has served over 3,000 young men of color across New York City.
In 2023, Donald was named to City & State’s Above and Beyond Innovators list, recognizing New Yorkers driving transformative change. He was also selected for Crain’s Notable Black Leaders list in 2022, honoring talented Black professionals bettering NYC.
Donald has been a featured speaker at Harvard Graduate School of Education, the Urban Education Symposium, the Black Male Initiative Conference (CUNY), Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color (COSEBOC), Service Unites: Conference on Volunteering & Service, and the STEM Diversity Conference at SUNY Farmingdale. In 2024, Donald received an honorary Doctor of Public Service from St. Thomas Aquinas College. He is credited as Associate Producer on “The Infamous Future,” a documentary that tells the story of the Eagle Academy and one of its students.
Donald is a graduate of Oberlin College with a dual bachelor’s degree in History and African American Studies. He also earned two certificates from the Executive Education program for Nonprofit Professionals at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.