"GOING ALL IN FOR THE SOUL OF PENN STATE"
Jeffrey Ballou
JEFF BALLOU ’90 TRUSTEE CANDIDATE POSITION STATEMENT
“We play all or none,” a decision by Penn State's football captains from the late 1940’s who refused to leave my Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brothers Wally Triplett and Dennis Hoggard behind for games because of segregationist practices.
It was then that Penn State embodied going all in for the soul of Penn State. A spirit of leaving no one behind.
My family, including my mother, Geneva Ballou and two generations of cousins, Irvin 'Chappie' Hill '56 and David Hill '82, who were Penn State football lettermen sacrificed tremendously so that I could get my start at Penn State at Greater Allegheny. I found lifelong friends, a community and soul reliant on its statewide land grant mission to educate working-class families like mine.
Thanks to long-standing leadership neglect(check their policy decisions and voting records), the Commonwealth Campuses, and students’ chance to get an affordable and accessible Penn State education is at risk.
01
RETURN ACADEMIC RANKINGS TO THE TOP 15
U.S. News once ranked Penn State in the top 15 academically; now we're 63rd. I will collaborate with university leaders to regain our prominence.
02
REIMAGINE COMMONWEALTH CAMPUSES
TO LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND
To make key decisions on our campuses, its crucial to have someone at the trustee table who attended one and has fought for the whole Penn State family since I first set foot on McKeesport's Greater Allegheny campus in the 1980's. I'll continue to champion the gems of faculty, staff, student and community innovations coming from the campuses. I will also facilitate thoughtful, consensus-based solutions to protect our land grant mission to try and leave no one behind by making Penn State affordable again, which is now far too expensive for today's families.
03
REINVIGORATE PENN STATE'S STRATEGIC
PLANNING FOR TOMORROW'S
CHALLENGES
With higher education’s challenges, it matters to have someone entrusted with representing multi-billion-dollar brands, facilitated difficult discussions with global leaders and will use my background raising fearless, but civil questions, seasoned strategic planning, proven risk management skills, sustained student engagement and worldwide defense of free speech experience alongside deep board service in order to help Penn State be a proactive university.
MEET JEFF
With 35 years as a journalist traveling the world and building a life with my wife Rasheedah, I’ve helped people understand critical issues and their impact. Entrusted with the reputations of major corporations and legacy brands—including ABC News (Disney), NPR, C-SPAN, and FOX Television—I have delivered fact-based reporting that safeguards their integrity and finances.
I’ve publicly represented these organizations, demonstrating their trust in my reputational management skills. My board service includes leadership roles like President of the 118-year-old National Press Club, providing governance, financial oversight, and facilitation of current events with global leaders.
At Penn State, I was deeply involved in extracurriculars: Greater Allegheny Lion Ambassadors, THON, WPSU-FM, and Commonwealth Campus Student Governments. Later, I served on alumni boards of the Bellisario College, Alumni Council, Greater Allegheny Campus, and the Metro Washington Chapter, along with elected leadership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the Congressional Correspondents executive committee.
Lastly, as a third-generation Penn State alumnus, I know the sacrifice made for me by my older cousins Irvin 'Chappie' Hill '56 and David Hill '82, both football lettermen. Our family comes from modest means and recognizes the priceless opportunity that an affordable, accessible education meant to all of us. Penn State's education is far too expensive for working class families like mine. I'll be that voice on the trustee board representing just what a Commonwealth Campus means for a chance at success.
These experiences shape my perspective as a trustee. Trustees must grasp both details and the bigger picture, build consensus across differing viewpoints, and be visionary—pushing the institution to higher heights while not forgetting its key roots.
