Director
Paul E. Ruffin was appointed to the Metra Board of Directors in June 2021 by suburban members of the Cook County Board.
Mr. Ruffin comes to the Board with nearly three decades of experience in account management, sales, and IT consulting, with special focus on process improvement, supplier diversity and minority business development.
Mr. Ruffin is currently employed as a Partner at Mercer, a human capital management consulting firm, where he is a part of leadership for the Mercer Chicago Health Team. He is focused on helping Mercer develop its government, education and not-for-profit areas and build its government and private sector practice nationwide. He serves on the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Business Resource Group, as well as on the Global Black Colleagues Network at Mercer.
He previously worked at Cigna in the health insurance provider’s government and education division, covering the Midwest and MidAmerica markets.
Mr. Ruffin began his career at Boise Cascade, one of the nation’s premier manufacturers and distributors of building materials, where he eventually led the corporation’s supplier diversity efforts. He then went on to work with IT consulting and research firms META Group and Gartner Group followed by high level sales and account management positions with Early Morning Software (PrismCompliance.com), software and data management firm CVM Solutions and asset management and procurement solutions firm Technology Concepts Group International.
In August 2020, he was unanimously elected as the newest member of the Board of Directors of the Cook County Health Foundation. Founded in 2011, the foundation is committed to making quality and responsive health care accessible to all. Cook County Health Foundation raises funds to support innovative initiatives, capital equipment needs and education, working to help Cook County Health build on its legacy of innovation and excellence in care while addressing health equity in Cook County.
