The Eagle Academy Foundation

Leadership

At the Eagle Academy Foundation, our leadership is driven by a dedicated group of visionary individuals who are committed to advancing opportunities for young men of color. Under the guidance of our President, CEO, and Board of Directors, the Foundation continues to fulfill its mission of preparing scholars for success in life, no matter which career pathways they choose.

President & CEO

Board of Directors

A. Mark Getachew, Esq.

Chairman 

Partner
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP

Independent voting member since 2009

Douglas T. Healy, CFA

Treasurer 

Managing Director
Formerly Credit Suisse

Independent voting member since 2011 

Joel I. Albarella

Senior Vice President 

Head of New York Life Ventures
New York Life Insurance Company

Independent voting member since 2015

Chapin Bates

Executive Vice President 

Citizens Bank / Retired Executive, Former JP Morgan Chase

Independent voting member since 2015

Will Boeckman

Head of Fixed Income Platform Sales

Citadel Securities

Independent voting member since 2025

Rob Brown

President

Founding Chapter One Hundred Black Men
Former VP/CFO NY Yankees

Independent voting member since 2024

Stephanie Burns

Vice President
Workforce Development and Engagement

Turner Construction

Independent voting member since 2024

Latif Elam

Senior Manager 

American Express 

Independent voting member since 2024

Teresa Evans, SHRM – SCP

Retired Executive, Consultant

Evans Consulting – Specialty Human Resources LLC

Independent voting member since 2012

Rainier C. Guanlao

Segment Leader, National HOA & Property Management Banking/Senior Managing Director, Webster Bank

Independent voting member since 2023

Monique L. Nelson

Chair & CEO

UniWorld Group

Independent voting member since 2018

Stephen Nordahl

Partner 

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher

Independent voting member since 2012

Carra Wallace

Founder and CEO 

Optimized Diversity Solutions

Independent voting member since 2004

Paul T. Williams, Jr.

Management Trustee

Ntozake Shange Trust

Former Chair, Independent voting member since 2004

Al Zollar

Tech Operating Executive 

Public Board Director
Tech Investor

Independent voting member since 2020

Vicki Zubovic

Vice-President of Philanthropy 

Khan Academy

Independent voting member since 2015

Donald M. Ruff, Jr.

President & CEO

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.