In addition to his legal and political duties, Taliaferro helps raise about $80,000 annually for victims of spinal-cord injuries through the Adam Taliaferro Foundation, which was created in 2001.
He said he has already received the 50 nominating signatures necessary to get him on the ballot for the April election of the board. Three new members will be chosen.
"I'm hoping to get a lot of support from alumni, and not just because I have some name recognition," Taliaferro said. "I think it's similar [to running for the Gloucester County post]. People want to know who, and what, they're voting for. I want Penn Staters to know what my ideas are, and I plan on getting that word out in the next couple of days."
Taliaferro said that while he has no doubt that all current members of the Board of Trustees "truly care about Penn State," he believes the "unique situation" of the Jerry Sandusky child sex-abuse scandal, the late-night firing of iconic coach Joe Paterno and the drawn-out search to find Paterno's full-time successor might have resulted in some missteps.
"The circumstances, I'm sure, were tough on everyone," Taliaferro said. "I know some of the trustees, and I believe there is a feeling that some things should have been handled differently. I know I wish some things had been handled differently."
It disturbed Taliaferro that Paterno, who was so supportive of him during his rehabilitation, learned of his firing by telephone.
"Coach Paterno is someone who has meant a lot to me and I respect thoroughly," he said. "I'm sure no one expected it to end that way for Joe, to not even be contacted in person. It caught a lot of us by surprise.
"Now, Penn Staters need to band together to support the university and the Board of Trustees, and to maybe bring some new ideas to the table. That's why I'm running. I'm looking forward to working with the trustees. I think we can do some good things. It just seems like a good time for me to become more involved."
