Georgetown University

Georgetown University’s Board of Directors unanimously selected Paul Tagliabue to serve as the next board chair. Tagliabue (C‘62), a former commissioner of the National Football League and a leader in the non-profit and business sectors, will serve a three-year term beginning July 1, 2009.

“I am grateful for Paul’s dedication to Georgetown and look forward to working with him in this new role,” said President John J. DeGioia. “He has engaged deeply in the university since his days as an undergraduate and his leadership will be especially meaningful now to further our ongoing efforts to enhance Georgetown’s mission at this critical time in history.”

Tagliabue has held a rich career in both the non-profit and business sectors. He served as NFL Commissioner from 1989 to 2006. Under his leadership, the organization grew from 28 to 32 teams; expanded team and league commitments to community service; developed television and new media partnerships; operated under successive long-term labor agreements with its players association; focused efforts to support public-private partnerships to construct new stadiums; and established operations in overseas markets.

Prior to his work at the NFL, Tagliabue worked as an attorney at Covington & Burling in Washington, DC. Before practicing law, Tagliabue served as a policy analyst in the U.S. Department of Defense.

Since retiring from the NFL, he has devoted significant time to issues in higher education.  In addition to his role on Georgetown’s board of directors, Tagliabue serves as chair of the board of the Graduate Institute of International Relations and Commerce of the State University of New York (SUNY). He has traveled extensively throughout the world often engaging in business, higher education and public policy discussions in Asia and Europe with representatives of business, government and academia.

Tagliabue calls on universities to respond to the demands of global interconnectivity –issues in which Georgetown is deeply engaged. “We must prepare a deeper cohort of students for leadership in the 21st century for many reasons, including the creation of new knowledge; the development of a richer understanding of cultures unfamiliar to us; and the acceleration of inter-religious dialogue,” he said during a recent speech in Singapore. “If our nations are to co-exist successfully in the new global environment and to address the most pressing challenges of the 21st century, then we need to invest in our greatest natural resource: our future generations of young people.”

The Georgetown alumnus said he sees his work on the university’s board as an opportunity to continue giving back to his alma mater. “This is an especially exciting time for Georgetown University and I am pleased to be able to have the opportunity to work with a talented leadership team to advance its important mission of education, research and service.”

Tagliabue has served on the Board of Directors since 2006. In addition to his work on the board, Tagliabue has lent his expertise to the last capital campaign and worked with the university’s Wall Street Alliance. He also has served as a class co-chair for his 45th reunion in 2007 and, in appeared as a guest speaker at the 2006 Senior Convocation.

Tagliabue succeeds Edmond D. Villani (C ’68), who has served as Board Chair since 2002.

About Georgetown University

Georgetown University is the oldest and largest Catholic and Jesuit university in America, founded in 1789 by Archbishop John Carroll. Georgetown today is a major student-centered, international, research university offering respected undergraduate, graduate and professional programs in Washington, DC, Doha, Qatar and around the world. For more information about Georgetown University, visit www.georgetown.edu.