Dr. Ryan Huff

Dr. Ryan Huff is a mission-driven operations executive recognized for leading complex, multisite organizations through growth and change with clarity, accountability, and compassion. With more than two decades of experience spanning public education, nonprofit operations, and financial services, he has managed enterprise budgets of up to $23 million, delivered capital projects on time and within budget including a $1.6 million facility build, and implemented scalable systems that strengthen organizational performance without compromising culture.
Before entering the private sector, Dr. Huff served as a superintendent overseeing more than 300 team members across eight facilities. He chaired an 11-member executive cabinet representing seven departments and worked closely with governing boards to strengthen oversight, streamline processes, and reduce organizational risk. Under his leadership, the district achieved recognition as the seventh most improved in the state, posted top-five-percent gains in high school assessment scores, and implemented districtwide strategies that significantly advanced achievement for Hispanic students. His disciplined financial leadership produced a 98 percent accounts-receivable collection rate—a 40 percent improvement—and helped secure a $500,000 federal grant to expand access and opportunity for students.
Safety, design, and long-term planning are central to Dr. Huff’s operational approach. He is certified in CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design), a framework that informs his work in facility planning, visitor flow, safety upgrades, and capital investment strategy. He has guided organizations through major safety enhancements and led the development of forward-looking facility plans, including STEM center designs and multisite capital improvement roadmaps.
A community-oriented leader, Dr. Huff has organized large-scale professional events, including a 1,000-person development summit focused on overcoming socioeconomic barriers to learning. He has also served on nonprofit boards that collectively raised more than $60,000 to support local needs. He is widely respected for cultivating strong relationships with boards, partners, clients, and frontline teams and for converting those relationships into lasting, measurable outcomes.
Dr. Huff holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri, an Education Specialist degree, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Pittsburg State University. He is certified in Missouri and Arkansas as a superintendent, principal, and science educator.
Outside of his professional life, Ryan’s grounding force is his family. He and his wife, Teresa, have been married for 27 years and have two children: Lauren, a Ph.D. student at Baylor University, and Layton, an Industrial Engineering major at the University of Missouri.