Board Member Named to Inaugural “Irish Education 100”

Monday, October 26, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Carol McCullough Fitzgerald, a member of the board of directors at Chestnut Hill College and resident of the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, has been named to the Irish Voice Newspaper and Irish America Magazine’s “Irish Education 100.” The inaugural “Irish Education 100,” is the newspaper’s list of the top figures in education across North America. All honorees are of Irish ancestry.

Fitzgerald, whose McCullough family roots are in Ireland’s County Tyrone, is executive director of The Pennsylvania Society, a nonprofit founded in 1899 that annually honors the accomplishments of Pennsylvanians who bring distinction to the Commonwealth. She also serves on the Development Committee of the College’s board and chairs its Membership Committee.

“I am deeply honored to receive this special award on behalf of my dear grandparents who were able to transcend extremely difficult hardships and challenges and begin a new life in America,” Fitzgerald said. “They have been a great source of pride, strength, and inspiration for me throughout my life.”

Among many initiatives, Fitzgerald oversees The Pennsylvania Society’s annual Benjamin Franklin Scholar Award, a competitive college scholarship program open to all Pennsylvania public high school students in their junior year – the latest in her association with higher education of more than 25 years. She held senior-level positions in alumni relations and institutional advancement at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, her undergraduate and graduate institutions respectively, while also serving as a volunteer for several schools, education- and youth-focused organizations, and alumni associations. Prior to becoming the first female executive director of The Pennsylvania Society, she produced and organized major programs and special events of regional and national interest in addition to managing political campaigns and devising successful fundraising strategies.

Fitzgerald, whose profile appears in Irish Voice’s October 2009 edition, serves on various other boards and commissions, including Historic Philadelphia, Inc., Philadelphia Futures, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, and the Trustees’ Council of Penn Women. She is the second individual associated with the College to be named to a list of notable Americans of Irish descent. Last year, alumna Patricia McHale O’Neill, Esq. ’69 was selected for Irish America magazine’s inaugural “Irish Legal 100” for her successful representation of children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. O’Neill’s profile appeared in the magazine’s October/November 2008 edition, along with those of U.S. Supreme Court justices, partners at the nation’s major law firms, corporate counsel, law deans, members of the judiciary, and others across the legal profession.