UNH Chairman Samuel S. Bergami Jr. Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
West Haven, Conn., January 27, 2010- Chairman of the University of New Haven Board of Governors, Samuel S. Bergami Jr. '85 E.M.B.A, received The Lifetime Achievement Award from the Milford Chamber of Commerce during their 55th Annual Meeting and Awards of Distinction at Grassy Hill Country Club, in Orange, Conn., at noon today. Bergami was honored for his "tireless work on behalf of the Milford business community."
Bergami began his career at Alinabal Inc. in 1966 as a tool and die apprentice, subsequently rising through the company to become plant manager, vice president of manufacturing, and group president. He is now president, CEO and co-owner of Alinabal Holdings Corp., the parent company of Alinabal Inc. The company comprises Practical Automation Inc., Daco Instrument Co., and Sterling Screw Machine Co. as well as two strategic business units: the Motion Transfer Device Group and the Engineered Products Group. Alinabal Holdings Corp. employs 350 employees and is based in Connecticut.
In 1976, Bergami founded Saber Electrical Supply in Milford, Conn., and held ownership in that company until 1994. He also founded Milford Electrical Contractors in 1985, based in Milford and operated by his partner and son, Samuel Bergami III.
During the past 30 years, Bergami has been involved in numerous community organizations and has received many awards for his contributions. He also has been recognized for his business acumen and significant contributions to the business community. The Milford Chamber of Commerce named him "Businessperson of the Year" in 1993, and the Connecticut Small Business Administration honored him with the "Small Business Person of the Year" award in 1996. In 1998, Success Magazine ranked Bergami and Alinabal Holdings Corp. No. 48 out of 100 top entrepreneurial organizations in the country. He was inducted into the Southwest New England Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame in May 2007.
Bergami is a trustee of the Milford Bank, director and treasurer of Milford Hospital, chairman and co-founder of the Milford Columbus Committee, treasurer of Milford Progress Inc., vice chair of the Milford Finance Board, past president and member of Milford Kiwanis, past president and member of the Milford Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Milford United Way, and the chairman of the board of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA).
Chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of New Haven and a board member since 2006, Bergami earned an Executive M.B.A. from the University of New Haven in 1985, and was awarded an honorary doctorate in Business in May 2002. Among his numerous contributions to the university, he has funded the Samuel S. Bergami Learning Center for Finance and Technology in Maxcy Hall, UNH's main administration building, and the Bergami Family Fitness Center in the David A. Beckerman Recreation Center. He also has endowed the Vincent C. Wachter Scholarship, emerging as one of the university's most generous and consistent supporters.
A leader in experiential education, the University of New Haven is experiencing a historic and nationally recognized surge in enrollment. Founded in 1920, the University provides its students with a unique combination of solid liberal arts and real-world, hands-on professional training. UNH is a private university with an 80-acre main campus. The University has an enrollment of more than 5,200; approximately 1,700 graduate students and more than 3,500 undergraduates, 70 percent of whom reside in University housing. The University offers more than 80 undergraduate degrees and more than 25 graduate degrees through its five colleges, in fields such as sports management, nutrition, forensic science, music and sound recording, engineering, computer science and criminal justice. University College at UNH develops programs and courses to meet the emerging educational and training needs of educators, businesses and public and social agencies, focusing on academic excellence, convenience and flexibility. University of New Haven students study abroad through a variety of distinctive programs.