Mark Brown Establishes Leadership Endowment to Support Future Student-Athletes

For 14 years, Mark Brown has served as Pace University’s Director of Athletics, the kind of leader whose presence becomes woven into the fabric of a campus. He has been there for championship runs and unforgettable seasons, for the electric moments that lift a stadium to its feet, and the quieter ones that shape a student’s future. Through it all, Mark has kept one belief at the center of his work: that the real victory comes from knowing he’s made a lasting difference in the lives of Pace student-athletes.

That belief is what led him to take a step that reaches far beyond his own time at the University. Mark recently established the Mark R. Brown Athletics Leadership Fund, a planned gift through his estate that will support student-athletes for generations to come. It is a gesture rooted in gratitude, service, and the deep sense of purpose that has defined his Pace career.

Pace has become my family.

“I am choosing to make this commitment to Pace because Pace made a commitment to me 14 years ago,” he says. “In my role, I know I am making an impact in the lives of students, and I find that immensely satisfying. I could not imagine doing anything else at any other place. Pace has become my family.”

Before he ever set foot on the Pleasantville Campus, Mark had already built an impressive resume, spending 18 years as an associate athletic director at Old Dominion University in Virginia. But when the opportunity to lead Pace Athletics came along, it arrived at a moment when he was searching for something more personal and grounded. He was ready to step away from the scale of Division I and into a Division II environment where he could see the impact of his work up close.

Pace offered exactly that. Its mission of Opportunitas resonated deeply with him, particularly as a first-generation college student who understood just how life-changing an open door can be. The students he met reminded him of himself: ambitious, hardworking, and searching for a place that believed in their potential. The campus, too, felt familiar, calling to mind the rural Vermont town where he grew up.

“Every person I met on campus was so kind and authentic, and I could really tell how much they cared about the students and this community,” Mark recalls. “I felt, and continue to feel, a genuine warmth that is hard to describe.”

Every person I met on campus was so kind and authentic, and I could really tell how much they cared about the students and this community.

Since joining Pace, Mark has guided the department through one milestone after another. Four years ago, he became the longest-tenured athletic director in the Northeast 10 Conference. Under his leadership, the University has seen notable growth in enrollment and academic success, as well as a surge in donor participation and support. He played a central role in developing a multi-million-dollar master plan for athletic facilities, a plan that came to life through projects such as the 14,010-square-foot Joseph R. Ianniello Field House, significant upgrades to Northwell Stadium and Peter X. Finnerty Field, and other enhancements designed to elevate the student-athlete experience.

Perhaps most meaningful to him has been the rise in academic achievement. During the 2024-25 season, Pace Athletics posted a cumulative 3.42 GPA with 78.6 percent of the department earning a spot on the NE10 Academic Honor Roll, the third-highest total in the conference.

So, when Mark decided to take the next step in supporting the students he has dedicated his career to, he chose to make his estate gift through his retirement plan. Working closely with Pace’s philanthropy team, he found an approach that allowed him to honor the University’s mission now while creating a permanent source of support for generations of Setters to come.

Because I feel so fortunate, I feel it is only appropriate to share my good fortune in as many ways as I can.

The process, he notes, is far easier than people often assume. Naming Pace as a beneficiary of a retirement plan or IRA can be done with a simple one-page form, no need to revise a will or trust, and no attorney fees involved. And because retirement assets left to the University are not taxed as income, individuals can make a significant impact without diminishing the value of their gift.

Mark never experienced a Pace education himself, but he has witnessed its power repeatedly over the past 14 years, seeing how it changes students, uplifts families, and strengthens communities. He hopes that his own commitment encourages others to consider the role they might play in supporting tomorrow’s student-athletes.

“I feel incredibly blessed to have found an occupation that I find so meaningful,” he says. “Because I feel so fortunate, I feel it is only appropriate to share my good fortune in as many ways as I can. I'm not a guy who has to live in the largest house or drive the newest car; I get profound satisfaction from being a servant leader and helping other people become successful. I feel incredibly blessed and proud to be able to make this commitment to a place that has become so special to me.”

You can join Mark in extending opportunities to future Pace students through a gift in your estate plan. Contact Marc Potolsky at (212) 346-1619 and mpotolsky@pace.edu to learn more.