Mark McMullen dies; he helped lead Packers, Associated Bank, stadium district

GREEN BAY ‒ Mark McMullen, former treasurer of the Green Bay Packers and retired executive vice chairman of Associated Bank, died Feb. 1.

McMullen, 74, retired from Associated Bank in 2012 and from the Packers in 2018.

"Mark provided invaluable work for the Packers during his time on the board. As treasurer on the executive committee, his expertise was instrumental in the financial stewardship of the organization," said Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy. "His presence on the executive committee was distinguished by his excellent sense of humor, as well as his genuine love for Green Bay and the Packers."

McMullen was the first chairman of the Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District, which was formed by the state Legislature to oversee the renovation and maintenance of Lambeau Field and manage the 0.5% Brown County sales tax that mostly paid for the work.

He was made a member of the Packers' 40-plus member board of directors in 2007. In 2010, Murphy asked McMullen if he would be treasurer and join the executive committee, the seven-member board that runs the organization.

"When I was on the stadium district board, I never thought I'd be on the Packers board. We had to take some tough stances," some of which didn't thrill the Packers, he said for a profile story when he received the Rotary Club of Green Bay's Free Enterprise award in 2014.

McMullen was born in Edina, Minnesota, and spent his childhood there and in Whitefish Bay, where he graduated from high school. He received a liberal arts degree from Marquette University, and began his financial career with Loewi & Co., followed by a move to the Marine Bank, both in Milwaukee. He heard about a job at Kellogg Bank in Green Bay, later to become Associated Bank, and applied, even though it was for less money.

"They checked my references and around my references. I almost 'had' to come by the time they were done," he said.

He joined the bank in 1981 and took over the trust department in 1986. He consolidated four trust units into a single trust company, started a brokerage and discount brokerage, and assumed responsibility for insurance, private banking and fiduciary operations. The trust department had four employees and was responsible for $7.4 million when he became its manager. It had 600 employees and managed $123 million when he retired.

He was a member of the State of Wisconsin Investment Board for 12 years, helping to manage $83 billion in assets for the Wisconsin Retirement System, State Investment Fund and other state funds. McMullen is a director and past chairman of Bellin Health System, vice chairman of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation and was on the executive committee of the Cornerstone Foundation.  He was on the Chancellor’s Council of Trustees at UW-Green Bay, active with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Green Bay. and served on other service organization boards in the community.

Ryan Funeral Home is handling services, with visitation on Feb. 9-10 and funeral services on Feb. 10 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 1307 Lourdes Ave., De Pere.

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG/.