Co-chairs Profile

Tim and Lisa O'Donnell

Roanoke College's Parents Associate Leaders group has named its co-chairs for the 2006-2007 academic year. Tim and Lisa O'Donnell have accepted the responsibilities of being parent liaisons for PAL.

The O'Donnells hail from Chatham, N.J., where they are active in many volunteer organizations, including the New Jersey Association of the Deaf-Blind, Inc., and the St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. They were first approached about becoming the new PAL chairs after their son, Brendan '09, enrolled at Roanoke. Brendan, a business major and an active member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, wanted a small, southern school for his higher education. "At Roanoke, he feels he can have an all-around great experience," Tim O'Donnell said. "It's an environment where he can be challenged and be successful academically, while also becoming involved in other activities where he can make a difference." Their enthusiasm for the College was infectious and noticed by the administration.

The couple was invited to the PAL reception for parents during orientation. Impressed with the people they met and the administration at Roanoke, they accepted the offer of becoming co-chairs for PAL.

As the new co-chairs, the O'Donnells' main focus is getting parents more involved, not just as donors, but with any skills they may have. They also would like to get a parent representative from each academic class for the PAL group and increase fundraising support. Their approach is echoed in their advice for prospective parents: get involved in any way.

The mission of PAL is to provide the College with parental insight and support. The group meets during orientation and family weekend and encourages the involvement of parents in their children's college experiences. PAL also assists the admissions office in recruiting prospective students by lending their names to various communications. The chair of PAL serves as an ex-officio member on the Board of Trustees.