The 26-member volunteer board oversees the efforts of the Foundation, whose mission is to provide private gift support to achieve a margin of excellence at the Academy.

Larson served as Chair of the Foundation Board since the Foundation’s inception in 2000. His tenure was highlighted by the organization’s highly successful $250 million Leaders to Serve the Nation Campaign.

Ryan, a 1967 graduate of the Academy and its 56th Superintendent from 1998 to 2002, is president of the Greensboro, N.C.-based Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), a top ranked, global provider of executive education that develops better leaders through its exclusive focus on leadership education and research.

Ryan joined CCL’s Board of Governors in 2002 and became president in 2007. From 2005 to 2007, he served as Chancellor of the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States with 64 campuses and more than 400,000 students and 80,000 faculty and staff.

Widely respected as chancellor, he was credited with enhancing SUNY’s relations with faculty, students and lawmakers, securing record budgets to hire hundreds of new faculty and staff members for teaching and research and bolstering the university’s overall rep-utation. Previously, Ryan served as president of the State University of New York Maritime College and as interim president of the University of Albany, where he strengthened academic programs, campus facilities and fundraising efforts.

From 1998 to 2002, Ryan was the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, winning widespread praise for his focus on academics, strategic planning and fundraising. A former Navy pilot, Ryan commanded squadrons, wings and forces in Asia, Europe and the Middle East during a 35-year career in the military. He serves on the Board of Directors for Cablevision in Bethpage, N.Y. and CIT Group, Inc.

The U.S. Naval Academy Foundation helps to advance the Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Alumni Assoc-iation by providing private resources to achieve and maintain a broad range of mission-enhancing activities that support the nation's premier leadership institution and its graduates.