Dr. Ronald D. Reeves has served as Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success at Oakland University since September 2026. He originally joined Oakland Athletics in May 2025 as Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Leadership & Engagement. The evolution of his role reflects the continued growth of his portfolio and a broader focus on supporting the full student-athlete journey, from arrival at Oakland through development, leadership, engagement, graduation and career readiness.
In his current role, Reeves oversees student-athlete development, the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), Oakland Athletics’ Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) program and operations, community engagement initiatives and the Athletics Belonging & Engagement Council (ABEC). He also serves as sport administrator for cross country/track and field and esports, providing administrative oversight for approximately 100 student-athletes.
Since arriving at Oakland, Reeves has expanded student-athlete development and career-readiness programming, including the GrizzLead Leadership Cohort, strengthened campus and community partnerships, enhanced NIL education and operations, and implemented systems to better coordinate student-athlete community engagement. His work supports more than 350 Golden Grizzly student-athletes, while Athletics has documented more than 2,500 hours of community service through its volunteer-tracking system.
Reeves’ involvement at Oakland also extends beyond Athletics. He serves as President-Elect of the Administrative Professionals Assembly and contributes to university-wide governance and student-support efforts through the University Senate Intercollegiate Athletics Committee, University Senate Mental Health Committee, JED Campus initiative and African American Celebration Month Committee. His work regularly connects Athletics with areas including Career & Life Design, Student Affairs & Engagement, Student Involvement, Housing, Counseling, International Students & Scholars, academic units and other campus partners.
Prior to Oakland, Reeves served as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Aquinas College, providing executive leadership for more than 800 student-athletes across 36 varsity and junior-varsity programs. His broader career includes leadership roles at the University of Colorado, Southern Illinois University and the University of North Carolina, along with experience across NCAA Division I athletics, HBCUs, urban public higher education and secondary education. He has also served as a volunteer Executive Director in the nonprofit sector, worked with Denver Arts & Venues in revenue development and community partnerships, and held roles with the Internal Revenue Service and in public service.
Recent professional development includes the AASCU Emerging Leaders Program, NACDA Fellows, N4A Executive Leadership Summit and the Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute’s Leader/Manager track.Â
A Detroit native and graduate of Cass Technical High School, Reeves earned his bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Detroit Mercy, a master’s degree in Sport Management from Ithaca College and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from Southern Illinois University. Reeves remains active in community service, mentoring and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. He and his wife, Bailee, live in Metro Detroit with their dogs, Bailey and Hugo, and he is the proud father of his daughter, Marisah.
