Building Upon Louis & Maribeth Berman’s Philanthropic Heritage

The Berman Center for Professional Sales was established with a generational gift from Louis and Maribeth Berman. Their $1 million gift secures operational funding, physical facilities, sales lab equipment, analytical software, dedicated faculty, scholarships, and several professional development opportunities for the Center’s students.

Mrs. Berman grew up in Richmond, graduating from Model Laboratory School and EKU. Most recently, her leadership as Chair of EKU’s Foundation Board through their “Make No Little Plans” campaign, raised $60 million dollars, far exceeding the $50 million dollar goal. She was also instrumental in formalizing the university’s annual “Giving Day”, a one-day event in the spring, that raised approximately $400,000 in 2022.

Mr. Berman, senior vice president with AssuredPartners, spent much of his career in commission sales, where he trained and mentored salespeople for over four decades. “Having spent most of the last 40 years hiring, training and mentoring sales people, I recognize the need for a pipeline of more sales professionals. Most recently, at my company, we have been looking to sales programs across the country to recruit new sales professionals. Additionally, sales people are high-income earners and have the personality to give back.”

Executive Director Dr. Lee Allison predicts that EKU’s professional sales program will be a strong draw nationwide. “As we attract students and get them into the labs and competitions, we expect to accelerate the acquisition and refinement of their skills such that EKU students will be beating out students from the best, and most-established sales programs in the world.”

She added the center will expand its offerings to include executive training for corporate and executive stakeholders in the area.

“Our hope,” Mr. Berman said, “is that EKU becomes known for the Berman Center for Professional Sales and that it used as a recruitment tool. We are committed to helping EKU grow this to be a program of distinction.”

Mrs. Berman encourages her fellow alumni and friends of the university to do the same, “…anyone can be a philanthropist, if you have the time.”