PAUL FOLINO
Athletics Supporter / Inducted Oct. 15, 2015
Paul Folino was the financial architect and unstoppable force that worked to reinstate the men’s and women’s golf programs at Cal State Fullerton. With the vision that the golf program could thrive in the heart of Orange County, Folino was driven to foster corporate support in the local business community.
Folino, chairman emeritus of Emulex Corp., used his philanthropic vigor and vitality to fashion the Folino Invitational golf tournament, which has generated more than $200,000 annually for Cal State Fullerton. His next endeavor is a promise to build a multi-million dollar endowment to ensure future success of the golf program and a lasting legacy at Cal State Fullerton. The teams returned to Cal State Fullerton during the 2009-10 academic year after being vacated in 1986 (women) and 1988 (men).
In addition to fundraising for Titan Athletics, Folino serves on the Cal State Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation Board of Governors and is also on the Dean’s advisory board of Mihaylo College of Business and Economics. His initial $1 million gift to Cal State Fullerton in 2002 launched the campaign he co-chaired for Mihaylo School of Business.
Folino has been a steady fixture in the Orange County business community for decades, and during that time, he has helped raise millions of dollars for several organizations. In 2006, he was recognized by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the top 100 most influential” people in Southern California and was named “Orange County Philanthropist of the Year” by the Association of Fund Raising Professionals. More recently, in 2013, Folino was recognized by the Orange County Business Journal as one of the “top 50 most influential business leaders” in Orange County.
Folino was recently inducted into the Toshiba Classic Hall of Fame, becoming only the fourth nonprofessional golfer of the Toshiba Classic Hall of Fame tournament to be elected and honored for immeasurable contributions to the event, joining past champions of the Toshiba Classic.
Folino was recognized as the 1999 Orange County Co-Entrepreneur of the Year for technology as well as Ernst & Young’s 2000 Orange County Director of the Year for high growth technology.
He sits on several non-profit boards including the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Chapman University and the New Majority, as well as the Commercial Bank of California and Microsemi Corporation in the corporate sector.