MEET Alumnus of the Year Greg Petroff
As a distinguished corporate attorney and business owner who knows firsthand the value of a Christian education, Liberty University alumnus Greg Petroff Esq. (’91) is constantly finding ways to support the next generation of Champions for Christ and equip them for their future careers.
Petroff was named Alumnus of the Year during Homecoming at the Alumni Breakfast on Nov. 1.
He said he deeply admired the work of Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell and was an avid viewer of his television program, “The Old-Time Gospel Hour.” He knew a Christian college environment was best for him. At Liberty, he discovered an interest in the world of law and business, and he completed a pre-law degree in 1991 before moving on to law school.
Petroff is now the managing partner of the Princeton, N.J., office of Reitler Kailas & Rosenblatt LLP, a national corporate transactional law firm. He is a seasoned corporate lawyer and skilled negotiator who centers his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, and general business and corporate matters. Petroff is also an entrepreneur and owner of several businesses and is a frequent speaker on topics relating to venture capital, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate tax. Petroff has been a familiar visitor to the School of Law, School of Business, and other programs at the university for many years, including the CEO Summit.
“I love coming down here. I get inspired and refreshed,” he said. “At the heart of why I love Liberty is that I love these students. I wholeheartedly believe that they are examples of . . . being different and putting Jesus first. If anything is going to change this world, it’s going to be these students with Jesus’ leading.”
Petroff said Jesus and Jerry Falwell — in that order — are the reasons he is where he is today.
“I gained inspiration from Dr. Falwell, including watching him and his vision for the university, that I have embraced since then throughout my career and in my home,” he said. “Liberty really launched me into where I am.”
On being named Alumnus of the Year, Petroff said he appreciates the gesture but wants the glory to go to God and hopes it inspires other alumni to reconnect with Liberty.
“I hope it inspires our alumni to think, ‘What small part can I do to give back?’” he said. “It doesn’t need to be in the way I’m doing it. It could be in giving generously, or it can be in simply acting as a sort of ambassador for Liberty at their church or within their sphere of influence, saying to young people and their parents, ‘Have you heard about Liberty? You should consider it. It changed my life, and it continues to be a place that changes lives.’”
