Grove City College President Paul J. McNulty '80 will serve as chair of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Presidents’ Council for the 2021-22 academic year. His term began July 1.
McNulty succeeds Dr. Calvin L. Troup, president at Geneva College, who served as the PAC Presidents' Council chair in 2020-21.
“The Presidents’ Athletic Conference has been blessed with excellent leadership over its long existence, and none has been finer than the work this past year of Geneva College President Dr. Calvin Troup,” McNulty said. “He wisely led our colleagues through complex issues as we sought the best pathways for the return to competition. In addition, our PAC administration, coaches, healthcare staff, officials, and many others tirelessly served our student-athletes. I’m thankful for the privilege of following in these footsteps and the PAC’s legacy of excellence.”
The Presidents' Council holds ultimate authority and responsibility for PAC governance and is responsible for the establishment, direction and, if necessary, the enforcement of general policy, including the conference office's annual budget and all other financial matters. The league’s name clearly reflects its founding principle that operational control of all aspects of intercollegiate athletics is ultimately the responsibility of the presidents of each member institution, and thus active presidential leadership and oversight is paramount in conference administration. Institutions involved understand that the key components to its progress lie in the foundation of faith in each member. It is the conviction of its membership that the PAC is the solution to the dilemma of intercollegiate athletic competition, and they have staked their athletic future on this premise.
McNulty is the ninth president of Grove City College. Prior to returning to his alma mater, McNulty spent over 30 years in Washington, D.C., as an attorney in public service and private practice.
In 2005, the United States Senate unanimously confirmed McNulty to the position of Deputy Attorney General, the second in command at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Chief Operating Officer of the department’s 100,000 employees. He also served from 2001 to 2005 as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and was a leader in our nation’s response to the terrorist attacks of September 11.
McNulty also worked for more than 10 years as a senior attorney in the U.S. Congress, including as Chief Counsel and Director of Legislative Operations for the House Majority Leader, Chief Counsel for the House Subcommittee on Crime, and Counsel for the House Ethics Committee.
From 2007 to 2014, McNulty led the global corporate compliance and investigations practice for Baker McKenzie, one of the world’s largest law firms. McNulty has been recognized for his expertise in business ethics, corporate governance, and internal investigations
McNulty received Grove City College’s Alumni Achievement Award in 1998 and an honorary doctorate in 2007. From 2004 to 2014, he served on the College’s Board of Trustees.
McNulty met his wife Brenda (Millican ’80) at Grove City College. They have been blessed with four children and three grandchildren.
Todd Gibson '02, entering his seventh year as the director of athletics at Grove City, will serve as chair of the PAC Athletic Administrators Council. Melissa Lamie, associate director of athletics for leadership development and head women's soccer coach, will chair the PAC Senior Woman Administrator Council. The PAC Faculty Athletic Representatives Association will be chaired by Dr. Richard D. Kocur '87, an assistant professor of business.
Currently comprised of 10 select private institutions – Bethany College, Chatham University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Geneva College, Grove City College, Saint Vincent College, Thiel College, Washington & Jefferson College, Waynesburg University and Westminster College – the PAC remains a unique organization in this day of high pressure intercollegiate athletics, with academics at the center of each member’s philosophy. In 2012, the PAC Presidents’ Council voted to add Carnegie Mellon University and Case Western Reserve University as affiliate members in the sport of football.
The PAC, which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary, crowns league champions and awards all-conference honors in its 23 championship sports.
Staying true to its original mission of promoting intercollegiate athletics and the pursuit of academic excellence, the PAC has seen over 200 of its participating student-athletes recognized as Academic All-Americans, while the league has also produced numerous NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners.
This release was prepared by the Presidents’ Athletic Conference.