‘Highlight of my career.’ CEO of Penn State’s Alumni Association leaves post after nine years
After nine years as the top executive officer of the Penn State Alumni Association, Paul J. Clifford is leaving to “pursue other opportunities,” the university announced Thursday.
Clifford’s last day as the chief executive officer of the alumni association was Jan. 2. He was the association’s 11th chief executive in its 154-year history, a university release states. In the position, he oversaw the membership organization, which has nearly 173,000 members. The release states he guided the university’s alumni relations strategy, managed 55 staff members, and leveraged the association’s many programs, benefits and resources, including its $13 million annual budget.
Clifford, a Pennsylvania native, said this role has been “the highlight of my career.”
“Leading the world’s largest alumni association alongside our dedicated volunteers and connecting my fellow alumni to their alma mater has been the highlight of my career,” Clifford said. “Our alumni are passionate about Dear Old State, and it’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve them.”
With Clifford at the helm, the association’s endowment has increased 58% as he and his team negotiated sponsorships bringing in nearly $25 million in guaranteed revenue over a 10-year period, according to the release. The organization also set new milestones in alumni engagement every year and he revamped the membership program to increase value.
Anand Ganjam, president of the Penn State Alumni Association, said Clifford was more than a CEO, he was a visionary leader, friend and the “true embodiment of the ‘We Are’ spirit.”
“His time at Penn State has been defined by his ability to foster meaningful connections and opportunities for alumni, and instill a deep sense of pride — all driven by his clear and unwavering love for Penn State. While Paul will be deeply missed, I wish him and his family all the best as they begin their next chapter and have no doubt his legacy of service to Penn State will continue to inspire future generations of Penn Staters,” Ganjam said.
The number of university endowments that support the alumni association grew by 156% since 2016, the release states, growing from 16 in 2025 to 41 in 2024.
Clifford also saw the association increase its investment in the Black Alumni Reunion, which had record attendance in 2022 and 2024, the university said. In 2024, the association was awarded the Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education, for its work in equity and inclusivity.
Clifford has a bachelor of arts degree in history from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and a master of higher education from Penn State. Before coming to Penn State, he was the associate vice president of advancement and executive director of the University of Oregon Alumni Association until 2016. From 2004 until 2014 he served as the associate vice chancellor for alumni relations at East Carolina University and the president and CEO of the East Carolina Alumni Association. His other stops include University of Connecticut Alumni Association, SUNY New Paltz, and James Madison University.
