August 11, 2026

Update from the AAB President

Fellow Alumni,

I am so excited to serve as president of the Lafayette College Alumni Association Board (AAB) as we wrap up our Bicentennial celebrations and enter our third century. I’d like to personally thank Fran Della Badia ’91 for her leadership as AAB president these past two years and congratulate her on being selected to join the Board of Trustees. The AAB is better positioned to serve you and the other 30,000+ Lafayette alumni, thanks to her leadership.

John Mulcahy, AAB president

John Mulcahy ’87 P’27, Alumni Association Board President

As a member of the AAB, I occasionally get the opportunity to participate in the interview process for certain administration roles. Recently, I participated in a panel interview, along with four other alumni. Towards the end of one interview, the candidate asked if each of us could talk about how we became so involved with the College as alumni. I found the answers interesting, and they provided me with valuable perspective as I begin my tenure as your AAB president.

All five of us had different paths and different motivations. One mentioned reaching out to the school as they were winding down full-time employment and looking for volunteer opportunities. Another became involved with her sorority’s national organization, later supporting Lafayette’s chapter and then the school. Another participated in a few meetings of the Council of Lafayette Women (CLW) and eventually took a leadership role in this affinity group. The fourth stayed involved immediately upon graduation. My path was different from my co-panelists. Moving to Atlanta after graduation, I attended some events with the Atlanta Alumni Chapter, including Lafayette–Lehigh watch parties and summer cookouts. I became friends with Jim Benjamin ’84, who is now on the Board of Trustees. Jim encouraged me to play a larger role in the chapter and join the Southeast Advisory Council, serving as its chair before joining the AAB. Now, I’m the father of a Lafayette senior.

The candidate noted that we all had different motivations and that there was something different about each of our Lafayette experiences that brought us back. This was an important lesson for me as I work with the Alumni Association to create opportunities for our alumni to engage with the school and each other. Lafayette has incredible alumni who have accomplished great things while on campus and continue to do so as graduates. The opportunities we create to motivate people to come back home to College Hill or engage with alumni in their local areas must recognize this variety of interests and affinities.

It was a busy summer for Lafayette alumni, highlighted by a fantastic Reunion, which saw 1,358 alumni return home for the weekend. Many events took place off campus, including 14 Welcome Events across nine states for incoming members of the Class of 2030. Over 500 people registered to attend one of these events. Cara and I hosted new students from Georgia and Tennessee at our home back in June.

I’d love to hear what brings you back to Lafayette and what you’d like to see from the Alumni Association. In the meantime, Roll Pards!

Sincerely,
John Mulcahy ’87 P’27
Alumni Association Board President 

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