Keeping Wildcats Connected in the Big Apple: Randall Mardus ’99 Reflects on His Years as Davidson’s NYC Chapter President
September 8, 2025
- Author
- Caroline Roy '20
When Randall Mardus ’99 moved to New York City after graduation, he learned firsthand how difficult the transition to life after Davidson can be.
Those first years in the city, he craved the community and connection ever-present on campus.
Early on, Mardus saw the potential for a strong Davidson-NYC network. When he reached out to other alums, he always found them eager to offer their support, company and professional advice. All he needed was a place to start, which came in the form of a vacant leadership position and a phone call with the then-director of the alumni office.
“I told him I'd make it the most active chapter in the country or drive him and his staff crazy trying,” Mardus said. “I ended up doing both. I had a clear vision that I wanted to bring Davidson’s warmth to NYC and build professional and social pipelines from campus to the city.”
As NYC chapter president for 12 non-consecutive years, Mardus has watched his vision become reality. Through consistent outreach, thoughtful event planning, and a slew of great co-presidents of the years — including Merideth Durden Dolan ’80, Kerry Brown ’99, Brianna Burton ’11 and Jackie Rasulo Kasulis ’98 — he’s worked to engage Davidson alums of all backgrounds and interests. Sometimes, this meant showing younger alums a place where they could find community. Other times, it meant convincing older, more established alums to attend events to help complete the pipeline.
“I had to show people that these events were worth prioritizing,” he said. “Regional engagement has that value. When we work together, we open doors to create opportunities for class after class of Wildcats, especially after all the advice, guidance and opportunity previous generations have given us.”
Years of hosting and attending regional events have given Mardus an evergreen source of friends in a place where people are constantly coming and going. Some highlights include the time Davidson alums packed a bar on Manhattan’s East Side during the 2008 men’s basketball NCAA run, all beaming with pride, and, more recently, a well-attended annual potluck picnic in Prospect Park, where Mardus saw firsthand the power of representation as then co-president Brianna Burton ’11 brought out alums of color, nearly doubling the usual attendance.
“I can’t remember an event where there wasn’t great conversation,” Mardus said. “Regional events not only keep me in touch with my people, but have introduced me to many new people who constantly make my life richer.”
As part of his vision for the New York City chapter, Mardus spent time researching what makes a good event. Priya Parker’s book, “The Art of Gathering,” taught him to organize events according to their purpose, to make storytelling a central part of each gathering and to invite alums to become a part of that story.
He always returned to what he learned about leadership and community while at Davidson. His Wildcat role models include people like AmeriCorps program coordinator Ruth Pittard, who led with unabashed love, and Coach Bob McKillop, who practiced Trust, Commitment, Care (TCC) at Davidson for 33 years.
At one of the region’s first tech industry events, he introduced a young alum looking for work and an older alum looking to hire.
“We have so many people in major industries like tech, law, the arts, healthcare and government/non-profits” he said. “Being able to connect people in all these fields is such an important function of regional engagement.”
In July, Mardus made the bittersweet transition from leader to participant, passing the presidential torch to his co-president, Jackie Rasulo Kasulis ’98.
Since stepping down, he’s received a flood of appreciative messages from alums thanking him for his service to the region. He may volunteer in other ways, but for now, Mardus looks forward to attending events rather than hosting them.
“NYC is fortunate to have such an all-star leadership team,” he said. “The most helpful thing I can do right now is show up — I can’t wait to watch them grow, thrive and try new things.”
