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Meet the NPCA Board: Bob Graulich

By Guest Contributor on Monday, April 9th, 2012

That's Bob- pictured on the far right, in the shorts and stylish socks!

 One of our New Year’s Resolutions is to introduce you more personally to the NPCA Board Members.  In his own words, meet Bob Graulich.

I answered the call just after President Kennedy’s death.  I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, 1964-68, and Country Director Malaysia, 1975-78, with a stint in between as Congressional Affairs and Administration and Finance Director in the early ‘70s. When I left, I had served every Peace Corps Director from Shriver through Craw.

I was fortunate in my life; got a few things done. Before Peace Corps I was a Congressional Fellow, serving with Jack Javits in the Senate and Brad Morse in the House. While in Congress I created the legislation for the nation’s first urban national park, in Lowell, Massachusetts, which fellow Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Paul Tsongas, brought to completion in 1978. It transformed a city.

In the early ‘80s I co-founded the Oxford Energy Company, which pioneered innovative renewable energy projects around the world, building, among other projects, the world’s largest scrap tire-fueled power plants. We took the company public in 1987.  I served as Vice president for Corporate Communications. Subsequently, I worked for Consumer’s Power Company, Michigan’s largest utility holding company which had purchased Oxford. In the ‘90s, my colleagues and I developed a company that supplied recycled materials from waste tires.

I am the father of two and stepfather of two, all incredible children, and I have four  grandchildren – so far. I am married to Scotland King. My former wife, Nettie Graulich, is well known in the Peace Corps community for her work in creating the sewing factory at Malawi Children’s Village, which Scotty and I helped start.

I did my undergraduate work at Penn, and graduate at Georgetown Law and George Washington School of Business. In my formative years, I was a folk singer and doo-wop recording artist for Colpix Records. Yes, I was once #75 on the Bucks County Hit Parade – for two whole weeks!

Since retirement in the late ‘90s, it’s been payback time. I have served in several NPCA affiliate organizations, on the board of the Peace Corps Fund and currently on the NPCA board. Peace Corps was and is the foundation of my life.

Bob Graulich’s NPCA Board page.

 

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