Open for Business
THE NEW LOMBARDO COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
BY J ANE T K AC SKOS
May was a monumental month for Millersville University. On May 6, 2020, the University announced the first named college in its 165year history, and three days later, 93 students graduated from the Lombardo College of Business. Dr. Samuel Lombardo and his wife Dena have been supporters of Millersville for many years. Their first major gift to MU was in 2015, when they gave $1.2 million to make the Lombardo Welcome Center a reality. During a virtual celebration on May 6, they announced a $3 million gift and the newest college at Millersville was named in their honor—the Lombardo College of Business. With other gifts throughout the years, it brings their total giving to Millersville to $5 million. “During these extraordinary times in which we find ourselves, we thought it was important to step forward to ensure student success,” explained Sam Lombardo. “My companies have been very successful, and we are financially blessed. I like giving back and now, more than ever, seems to be the appropriate time.” “This gift will change the lives of students at Millersville University and impact the local, regional and national business landscape,” said Dr. Daniel A. Wubah, Gasser Abousaif ‘20, president of Millersville Lombardo College of Business graduate University. “A gift of this magnitude not only ensures the lasting legacy of the Lombardo name, but it also confirms their commitment to the success of generations to come. The Lombardos’ transformative gift will establish endowments in perpetuity to ensure that the top-notch Millersville University education remains affordable to academically qualified students, who may otherwise not have the opportunity to pursue higher education. “Dr. and Mrs. Lombardo could have easily decided to wait out the storm before confirming this transformative gift,” Dr. Wubah continued. “They could have said, ‘let’s wait 18 | M I L L E R S V I L L E U N I V E R S I T Y • S p r i ng | S u mm er 2020
Lydia Shaloka, business major, talks about the impact the Lombardos’ gift will have on her future during a Zoom event.
and see how things shake out.’ However, my dear friends, Sam and Dena prefer to walk the walk rather than talk the talk. To them, leadership does not wait but rather acts! Their timing could not be better because of the significant impact that this gift will have in the preparation of the skilled workforce needed to catalyze our recovery from the current economic downturn. This impact will be felt in Lancaster County, South Central Pennsylvania and the entire Commonwealth.” “I am humbled by this honor,” said Sam Lombardo. “I’ve been blessed to achieve success because of the great people around me. There are lots of entrepreneurial ideas out there, but unless you have a team to achieve it, the ideas are left on the garage floor. Millersville’s College of Business will offer a unique partnership of the best academics and of the private sector to bring in talented entrepreneurs and businesspeople to share in their experiences. I’ve emphasized with Dr. Wubah the need to offer mentor ing and internships. It’s important to mentor and help young people from college to career path.” Lombardo is a well-known insurance entrepreneur and the chairman and CEO of The Benecon Group, which specializes in developing innovative and effective employee benefit solutions. His companies gained national
LOMBARDO
COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Opposite: Dr. Samuel and Dena Lombardo, and Dr. Judith Wubah and President Daniel Wubah
