As the chief of staff to Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Paul Mounds Jr. ’07 is helping to manage the state government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “I always tell people, ‘I don’t work in politics; I work in public service,’” Mounds says.
Born in Hartford, Mounds grew up knowing that he wanted to serve his community. He chose to attend Trinity because of its strong political science program and its Legislative Internship Program, which gave him early experience working at the Capitol.
He sees parallels between the ways the state and Trinity College are getting through the pandemic. “There’s no playbook for this,” Mounds says. “Trinity planned, but provided flexibility within their plan, to adjust. It led to the school being able to fulfill the academic mission.”
Mounds has always appreciated the connections between Trinity and its home city of Hartford. “It’s not just a school on the summit; it’s part of the heartbeat of Hartford,” Mounds says of Trinity.
“I was born in Hartford, Connecticut—just like Trinity College,” he says. “I’m proud to tell anyone that I’m a Trinity College Bantam.”
Watch a video interview with Mounds below:
The Class of 2026 inductees are Mickey Kobrosky ’37, Susan Cutler Beyer ’85, Kate Hunter ’05, Gustav Detter ’09, Kanzy El Defrawy ’16, and former coach/administrator Chet H. McPhee. Doug Tansill ’61, P’91, ’96 was selected for the inaugural Blue & Gold Award.
Trustees, honorees, and their families gathered on Friday, October 16, as Trinity College added five new names to its Wall of Honor. The Wall recognizes individuals and organizations whose lifetime giving to Trinity has surpassed $1 million.
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Will McCormack ’96 returned to Trinity College recently for a screening of his latest film, the 2026 comedy-drama The Invite, and a conversation in which he discussed his writing process and the magic of movies.
Restaurateur Danny Meyer ’80, H’24, P’20 returned to Trinity College to help launch TrinTalks, a new series of campus conversations in which alumni share stories about how Trinity shaped their career trajectories.
