PBHA Director Leaves After Four-Year Tenure

Paul A. McDonald, the first executive director hired by Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) officially left his post yesterday after four years of leading Harvard’s largest public service organization.

McDonald, who was known for his selflessness, his quiet leadership, and his remarkable resemblance to both Santa Claus and Ernest Hemingway, announced his resignation on September 23.

McDonald said he is ready to return to his first love—working with special-needs children—as director of development at The Cotting School in Lexington, Mass.

Although McDonald has a strong background in child social work, he said his decision also reflects a desire for more free time.

“PBHA is a complicated organization with three separate identities—it’s a nonprofit group, a student group, and a department within the college—and that can be a lot to handle at times,” said McDonald.

The position of PBHA executive director was created in 1997 as part of an agreement between PBHA and Harvard College to provide better accountability. As executive director, McDonaldbridged the gap between students and staff at PBHA, a student-run organization that is professionally supported. He arrived at PBHA in 1998, a tense and tumultuous time for organization, when friction between the University and the PBHA student leaders led to protests and frequent staff turnover.

“Paul made peace when he came here,” said PBHA President Laura E. Clancy ’02-’03. “He hired new staff members and supported the students in their autonomy.”

“In any organization as complex as PBHA, there are always issues—Paul stabilized the organization as soon as he arrived,” said Judith H. Kidd, assistant dean of Phillips Brooks House.

PBHA Deputy Director Maria J. Dominguez agreed. “He completely rebuilt and healed the staff here,” she said. “There is hardly any turnover now.”

McDonald is only the second major staff member to leave PBHA in the past four years.

McDonald is lauded for his powerful sense of dedication to his work, his promotion of student leadership, and his random acts of kindness.

“If a student’s parents got sick or something, he would just whip out his checkbook and write them a check for a plane ticket,” said PBHA President Laura E. Clancy ’02-’03.

McDonald has also been known to lend his Cape Cod house to service groups for retreats. He also ran errands, large and small, for events.

McDonald cultivated an intimate atmosphere at PBHA. Some staff members and students even referred to him as their part-time psychologist or mentor.

“He made everyone feel valued,” said Dominguez.

“That is especially important at non-profit service organizations, which can be very draining at times,” he said.

“Even though he was a director, he still had time to buy you soda if you needed it for a program. Most executive directors just don’t do things like that,” said Damaris I. Wortes ’03, who is president of Leaders, a mentoring program for teenagers.

“He was great about keeping a crazy college student’s schedule,” said PBHA vice-president Tim R. Schneider ’03. “If we were here planning at 4 a.m., he was here. If we sent him an e-mail Sunday night at 10, he would answer it.”

Despite McDonald’s dedication, the demands on his time took their toll.

“I felt like we had so much to do on a day-to-day basis that we never had time to focus on the learning behind the service,” he said. “And it’s tough to keep a college student’s schedule with a wife and kids.”

McDonald plans to pursue a doctorate in service learning with his spare time.

In addition to his many unofficial roles, McDonald played an integral part in the administration of PBHA, making many key contributions to its financial structure. He launched the Centennial Campaign and the Trustee Finance Committee, in addition to completely reorganizing PBHA’s finance system.

“He straightened out PBHA’s finances tremendously,” said Kidd. “They were frighteningly confused before he came.”

McDonald also created continuity in staffing and opened up communication within the entire organization.

Some attribute staff loyalty to PBHA to McDonald’s leadership style.

“He is a man of great integrity and kindness,” said Dominguez. “He never forgets about the people below him, and most importantly, he lets you do things your own way but always has your back.”

A man of great faith in student leadership, PBHA staff members were impressed with McDonald’s ability to defer to students many years his junior.

“His biggest strength was his integrity—and he was never quick to jump conclusions. It is hard to defer to 20- year-olds when you have been in the business of service for thirty years,” said Dominguez. “But he did it. He was never ‘Mr. Hierarchy.’”

Clancy has launched both local and national searches for McDonald’s successor. She has also formed a search committee of students, faculty, administrators, and alumni.

“We are looking for someone with great integrity and a strong commitment to student leadership,” she said.

Dominguez will serve as the interim executive director for the next six months.