Paia LaPalombara serves as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at The Ohio State University. In her current role, Paia oversees the Department of Athletics investigatory function and Elite Athlete Program, including agent, disability insurance, and elite athlete educational programming. Paia is a member of the Athletic Compliance Senior Leadership Team and provides compliance oversight for wrestling.
Paia is involved with numerous national and University committees, including as Vice Chair of the NCAA Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, and member of the NCAA Regional Training Center Working Group, NCAA Academy Integrity Task Force, and NCAA Mental Health Task Force. A member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC), Paia serves on the Board of Directors and chairs the NAAC Convention Committee.
Internally, she is currently a member of the Ohio State Clery Act Committee, Ohio State University Compliance Communications Committee, and Ohio State Athletics Revenue Generation Task Force. Previously, Paia graduated from the Women Leaders in College Sports Institute for Administrative Advancement in 2016, has served as a facilitator for the 2016 NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, and was on the Local Organizing Committee for the 2018 NCAA Division I Women’s Final Four. Outside of athletics, Paia is actively involved with Girls on the Run of Franklin County and the Women’s Fund of Central Ohio.
Paia joined Ohio State in 2013 as an Assistant Director of Compliance, where she provided compliance oversight for 11 varsity sports. Prior to joining Ohio State, Paia worked in Enforcement at the NCAA’s national office. She also served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Athens County, Ohio.
Paia received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and her law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She and her husband Lee live in New Albany with their daughter.