In the days of Cariboo College when students transferred elsewhere to complete their degrees, Tom McInulty was a young athlete aspiring to be an accountant.
He played basketball for two seasons from 1975-1977 before continuing his studies at what was once Dunwoody and Company which morphed into its current, BDO LLP. Tom became a partner in 1992 with a Certified Management Accountant Fellowship which was awarded in 2006, and stayed with the firm until his retirement in 2013.
There are a lot of stories along the way, and Tom has remained a ‘sportsaholic’ with a twisted sense of humour. Not the stereotypical accountant of days gone by.
His connection to this university has been steadfast as an active Alumnus and supporter of students, particularly athletes.
After his wife passed away in 1997, he decided to start an annual athletic scholarship which is now known as the McInulty Family Scholarship.
While at BDO, the firm co-sponsored the women’s pre-season basketball tournament for years and then became the sole sponsor. That started when Jeff Speedy was the coach. Tom also had been introduced to Pat O’Brien when he was the Athletic Director, and so appreciated how tough fundraising for athletics was, and remains challenging to this day. BDO subsequently had an umbrella sponsorship covering all athletics and now is a major sponsor of the TRU Foundation Gala.
Tom was an Alumni and Friends board member and treasurer for 12 years, and has been a TRU Foundation board member and treasurer since 2013. Tom has always felt an affinity to Cariboo College, UCC and TRU and likes to be involved in the community.
How would you encourage other Alumni to remain connected to TRU?
One simple thing: go to the WolfPack games….American universities have a strong pull for alumni attending games….especially from their athletic alumni. Once you’re on campus you see so many new things and how this little community has grown and developed into a beautiful, vibrant campus.
Other ways of being connected are to volunteer on boards, such as the Alumni and Friends, Sports Task Force, and Foundation. If you’re not connected you won’t know of these bodies or that they’re looking for members.
The Alumni newsletters are interesting but the challenge is to find people who want to remain connected…. so perhaps pass this newsletter on to someone, or invite others to attend games, etc.
What are your values with respect to education and TRU in particular?
Education is a life-long process. It is rare,to find someone who did not recognize a benefit, both financial and otherwise, from furthering their education and expanding their knowledge. TRU, while once a local, cheaper alternative for the first two post-secondary years, has blossomed into an international destination for those working in the trades or towards a degree.
Tom’s community involvement also includes Kamloops Estate Planning Council, The United Way and the Kamloops Brain Injury Association.
He and his wife Bonnie were married in 1999 with five children between them, ages 34 to 40. These days they enjoy spending as much time as they can with their two grandsons, ages 16 years and one year.
