Earl W. Stafford ’76

Earl W. Stafford ’76 is the chairman and CEO of The Stafford Foundation—a faith-based, nonprofit organization that provides services to help underserved people become self-reliant. Started by Stafford in 2002, the foundation became famous worldwide for its People’s Inaugural Project, an unprecedented event that brought disadvantaged people from all walks of life to Washington, D.C., to be part of the 2009 inaugural celebration for President Barack Obama. Through the People’s Inaugural Project, the foundation welcomed several hundred people as guests for a three-day gathering that included four events: the People’s Inaugural Ball, a Youth Ball, a prayer breakfast, and a luncheon. Nearly 40 nonprofit organizations that assist some of society’s most underserved people participated in the project. Today, the foundation continues to partner with many of these organizations and maintains a strong commitment to doing good for those in need. In recognition of Stafford's deep and abiding commitment to social justice and the way he has exemplified the university's values of community, respect, and social responsibility in the broader community, he is the recipient of the 2022 UMass Alumni Honors Randolph W. “Bill” Bromery Legacy Award.

Stafford also serves as the CEO of The Wentworth Group LLC, a privately held company that provides essential business services and growth investment support to commercial, technology-focused small businesses. He is the former chairman and CEO of UNITECH, a technology solutions company that delivers training programs, simulation technology, and homeland security systems to the federal government. Stafford also enjoyed a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force. He currently serves on the boards of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Horatio Alger Association, and the Monumental Sports & Entertainment Foundation, and is trustee emeritus of the Wesley Theological Seminary. Further, Stafford received presidential appointments as trustee to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Born as the ninth of twelve children to a part-time Baptist minister and his wife in Mount Holly, New Jersey, Stafford says that his parents taught him and his siblings “that through faith, perseverance, and endurance you are able to continue through difficult times until you achieve your goal.” After earning his BBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst, he went on to get his MBA from Southern Illinois University in 1984 and is the recipient of several honorary degrees. He has been devoted to helping humankind through his hard work ever since.