Purdue alum, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee executive Julie Dussliere named president and chief executive officer of Purdue for Life Foundation

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Julie Dussliere, a Purdue alumna and longtime executive with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), has been named president and chief executive officer of the Purdue for Life Foundation.

Dussliere, who will begin Oct. 1, succeeds Matt Folk, who served as president and CEO since 2019 and now will become ambassador for Purdue University in Indianapolis. Dussliere was selected following a national search that included the assistance of an executive search firm and resulted in a large and competitive applicant pool.

Dussliere will report to the Purdue for Life Board of Managers, chaired by Purdue University President Mung Chiang. She will oversee all aspects of alumni-facing organizations — including the Purdue Alumni Association, President’s Council and John Purdue Club — and development, alumni services, alumni lifetime learning and alumni campus living.

“We are truly excited to welcome Julie Dussliere back to her alma mater. And we thank the members of the search committee for their dedication,” Chiang said. “In her distinguished career with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee after graduating from Purdue, where she was on our swimming team, Julie has proven to be an excellent leader, collaborator, diplomat and decision-maker, demonstrating executive leadership of large teams and strong intellect and people skills. The Purdue for Life Foundation is a team of many talents that can serve and connect all Boilermakers for life and create the largest premier social network in the world. Julie is the ideal leader to develop, articulate and implement the long-range vision and strategy for the foundation and to most effectively serve and advance Purdue University.”

“I am deeply honored and thrilled to return to Purdue in this role,” Dussliere said. “Purdue University has always held a special place in my heart, and I am eager to contribute to its mission in a meaningful way. The Purdue for Life Foundation has made tremendous strides under Matt Folk’s leadership, and I look forward to building on that momentum. Together, we will continue to engage and inspire our alumni and supporters, driving forward the vision and goals of this extraordinary institution.”

Dussliere has been with the USOPC since 2003, rising to senior vice president, chief of Paralympic sport in 2021 and subsequently senior vice president, chief of Paralympics and internally managed sport in 2022. Her other roles include chief of Paralympic sport; vice president/managing director, Paralympics; and team leader, sport performance.

In 2018 Dussliere was appointed president of the Americas Paralympic Committee, becoming the first woman and first U.S. representative to lead the organization. The AmPC is recognized as the sole regional representative of the Americas region within the worldwide Paralympic Movement.

In her current position, Dussliere has led Paralympic strategic planning and the implementation of key organizational priorities and initiatives, reporting to the board of directors on matters involving Paralympics and serving as executive staff liaison to the Paralympic Advisory Council.

Dussliere has overseen the high-performance planning and support processes and sport development projects for the 28 summer and winter Paralympic sports. She also has directed the day-to-day operations for the teams that serve as the Olympic/Paralympic National Governing Bodies for the USOPC internally managed sports.

Dussliere previously was involved with coaching Paralympic swimming on an international level for over a decade. In 2006 she was named the U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympic Coach of the Year.

Prior to her work with the USOC, Dussliere spent eight years as a swim coach and administrator for various USA Swimming clubs, including Rocket Aquatics (Syracuse, New York), Kansas City Blazers, Liverpool Jets (Liverpool, New York) and West Coast Aquatics (San Jose, California).

Dussliere earned a bachelor of arts in Russian from Purdue, where she was an Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree in swimming, and a master of arts in Slavic and East European studies from Ohio State University.