Rufus Williams was appointed to the Chicago Board of Education in 2005 by Mayor Richard M. Daley. The following year, Williams became president of the board. He is a product of the Chicago Public Schools, the parent of a CPS graduate, and now the president of the Chicago Board of Education. He is also President and CEO of Olympus, LLC, a business management and contract negotiation firm. Williams has launched a variety of programs at CPS including, in 2007, Real Men Read which in its first year attracted more than 300 volunteers to read to boys and girls in second, fifth, and seventh grades in their schools.. Williams graduated from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA magna cum laude, with a degree in accounting. Williams began his professional career at Arthur Anderson & Co. and eventually made his way to the Harpo Entertainment Group, where he would ascend to chief financial officer. In addition to serving as president of the Chicago Board of Education, Williams serves on the boards of the Chicago Public Education Fund, the Renaissance Schools Fund, the Children First Fund, After School Matters and the Public Building Commission of Chicago. Williams is married with two children.