New England Board of Higher Education Recognizes Samuel Bergami

The award is presented annually to highly effective trustees. Bergami, a current UNH board member and its chairman from 2006 until 2012, will receive his award at the 2015 New England Higher Education Excellence Awards ceremony on March 13 in Boston.

Bergami was nominated by UNH President Steven H. Kaplan, who called him the university’s most generous benefactor.

"(Bergami) willingly devotes significant hours of his time to the University, knows our institution extremely well and is one of our strongest advocates," Kaplan said. "He is committed to the University and our community.  He is focused on day-to-day policy issues, but is also a visionary who looks to the future and has ambitious goals for the University."

Bergami, and his wife, Lois, have funded a number of UNH initiatives.  In 2012, the University dedicated Bergami Hall, a residence hall located on the main campus, in their honor. Most recently, Sam joined with another benefactor to purchase 47 acres and a former corporate headquarters complex to establish the University of New Haven’s campus for graduate programs in Orange, Connecticut.  This spring, the new facility was dedicated as the Bergami and Pompea Graduate Center.

Among his numerous contributions to the University, he has funded the Samuel S. Bergami Learning Center for Finance and Technology, the Bergami Family Fitness Center and the Bergami Family Lecture Hall in the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science.  He also has endowed the Vincent C. Wachter Scholarship and established the Bergami Family Summer Internship Program, which provides funding to offset the cost of living and expenses for unpaid summer internships for University of New Haven students. 

"Sam is generous and compassionate, making him the ideal role model for all other members of the UNH board," Kaplan said.

Bergami began his career as a tool and die maker at Alinabal, Inc. in 1966.  Over the years, he rose through the ranks at the Milford, Conn. company, becoming plant manager, then vice president of manufacturing and group president.  Now, he is the president, CEO, chairman of the board and co-owner of Alinabal Holdings Corporation, the parent company of Alinabal. The company has 325 employees.

In 1976, Bergami founded Saber Electrical Supply in Milford and held ownership in that company until 1994.  He also founded Milford Electrical Contractors in 1985, which continues to thrive today.

Bergami was awarded an EMBA degree in 1985 by UNH and was recognized with an honorary doctorate of business in May 2002. He was a recipient of UNH’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 1999 and was honored with the University’s President’s Award in 2012.

Bergami has served as chairman of the School of Business Advisory Committee; a member of the Board of Directors of the UNH Foundation; chairman of the Center for Family Business Advisory Committee; co-chair of the College of Business’ Big 10 Committee; and a member of the Board of Governors’ Advancement and Development, Executive and Physical Resources Committees. 

About the University of New Haven

The University of New Haven is a private, top-tier comprehensive institution recognized as a national leader in experiential education. Founded in 1920 the university enrolls approximately 1,800 graduate students and more than 4,600 undergraduates.