Former Sag Harbor Schools Business Administrator Takes Over as COO at Eastern Suffolk BOCES

After more than three decades, Eastern Suffolk BOCES will have a new leader, one with ties to Sag Harbor.

Ryan Ruf has taken over as chief operating officer of ESBOCES, replacing Dr. Julie Lutz, who retired after 32 years leading the educational organization, which provides a wide range of support and services to 51 school districts in the area.

Ruf — who began his career in education as a middle school and high school math teacher in 1998 — has been an administrator since 2002, and served as the business administrator for the Sag Harbor School District from July 2004 to January 2006. He moved on to become assistant superintendent for business at the Plainview-Old Bethpage School District from January 2006 to February 2015 before he was hired as the deputy superintendent for management services at BOCES, a role he held until moving to the COO position.

BOCES — which, for the uninitiated, stands for Board Of Cooperative Education Services — was created more than 50 years ago by New York State to provide shared educational programs and services to school districts. There is great variation in what BOCES offers for districts — everything from professional development for teachers to special education programming for students with disabilities and special needs, to vocational job training and tech support.

A big focus of BOCES in recent years has been the promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, something that Lutz — who was a school psychologist before becoming COO — championed during her tenure, and that Ruf, a St. James resident, is determined to continue.

“Julie Lutz was an amazing leader,” Ruf said, adding that ESBOCES has been “leading the region in supporting school districts with diversity, equity and inclusion work.”

“I’m working really hard for that sense of valuing everyone’s dignity and creating cultures where people feel they can belong,” he added. “For us, that’s the key to this work.”

Diversity and inclusion have become buzzwords in recent years, but at an organization like BOCES, creating an environment where diversity and inclusion are priorities is almost second nature, whether it’s catering to students with special needs and disabilities or providing educational opportunities for students interested in learning a trade.

Seeing those students grow, thrive and shine is an aspect of the job that Ruf said he has always enjoyed. He spoke about one former student who had attended the BOCES HVAC training program, and went on to work in that field. Over the summer, he was awarded a bid to upgrade the HVAC system in the BOCES welding shop, which Ruf said was a nice full circle kind of moment.

Stories like that abound at BOCES, Ruf said.

“I got an email last week from a parent of a special ed student explaining how the child came to Eastern Suffolk BOCES with significant struggles, and through our support and education, that child is now able to return to their home school district and be in their local classroom and succeed,” he said. “It’s truly a special place, and it’s the staff that makes it so special. Their level of care and concern for the students is just above and beyond.”

Ruf was a natural choice to take over for Lutz because his passion and enthusiasm for the students and staff at BOCES, and his early background as a classroom teacher pairs well with his expertise in the field of business administration. BOCES is a large organization that deals with many different aspects related to public education — Ruf described BOCES as the regional presence of the state education department — which necessitates someone who understands how to manage the business aspect and finances of such a large institution. Ruf said he gained valuable insight into doing that kind of work when he was assistant superintendent for business in the Plainview-Old Bethpage district.

“I got rich experience there in all aspects of school finance and capital projects, and in education as well,” he said, adding that he moved over to BOCES because it allowed him to serve in a role that made him more of a leader for school business officials.

Ruf is the former president of the Nassau County Association of School Business Officials, and currently serves as the vice president of the Suffolk County chapter. For the past 12 years he has also served on the Long Island Education Coalition.

“During his time as Deputy Superintendent of Management Services, Mr. Ruf has overseen all aspects of the business, administrative, technology, and facilities departments within the agency,” ESBOCES Board President Lisa Israel said in a press release. “That, in addition to his teaching experience, makes him well positioned to lead the organization forward.”

Longtime ESBOCES board member and Sag Harbor resident Anne Mackesey was equally happy with Ruf’s appointment to COO. She served on the Sag Harbor School Board during the time he worked as the business administrator there.

“He will continue the vision and work of ESBOCES,” she said in an email. “And I’m so proud to be working alongside him and my fellow board members in continuing the fine work we do.”