Bartley Medallion: Daniel M. DiLella

Bartley Alumni Medallion Awarded to Daniel M. DiLella ’73 VSB

THe First tiMe Daniel M. DiLella set foot on the Villanova University campus was in 1967. At that time he was a sophomore at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia and a friend of his from high school, a freshman at Villanova, invited him to visit campus. He said of that visit, “It was fate, I was hooked on VU. I wanted to attend.”

“The first thing VU did for me was accept me into the class of 1973,” said DiLella. “The second thing VU did for me was let me stay. During my tenure as a student, I knew how to push the envelope and the patience of the faculty at times.” It was during his undergraduate years that DiLella said he matured, all the while earning a quality education and learning both inside and out of the classroom. “The third thing VU did for me, which is a common theme among many alums,” he said, “was to have and to receive loyalty and camaraderie.”

It was with this solid business education and strong commitment to service academically and professionally. The DiLella Center for Real Estate is changing the face of business education at Villanova, and new courses in commercial real estate continue to be introduced. The first class of MBA students with a real estate specialization graduated in the spring of 2011, and the undergraduate real estate co-major was launched in the fall of 2011. VSB students already have begun a Real Estate Society, which now has more than 50 active members.

Hosted by the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate, the Villanova Real Estate Challenge is the largest of three national undergraduate university real estate development case competitions in the United States. The event provides students with practical, real-world experience and exposes sponsoring firms and industry executives to the next generation of real estate leaders. Opportunities like the Villanova Real Estate Challenge enable Villanova students to enjoy consistent job placement success by leveraging the center’s relationships with real estate industry alumni, parents, and community leaders.

“As a history major with no business background, I knew that forging relationships would be a necessity for breaking into real estate” said Isabel Tinker ’11 A&S. “The DiLella Center was instrumental in introducing me to real estate professionals who guided my career search and taught me the skills I needed to learn to start my career. Best of all, those I met through the center are still mentors and friends.”

“When I was a student, Villanova provided me with the knowledge and opportunities I needed to develop the career I have today,” DiLella said. “It is my hope that this center for real estate will continue to provide young people who are interested in real estate, as I was, with the resources they need to pursue successful and rewarding careers in the field.”

to the community that DiLella began his career in commercial real estate. Forty years later he is the President & CEO of BPG Properties, Ltd. Outside of his career, DiLella is dedicated to improving Villanova. His ongoing and consistent support has resulted in the creation of the Institute for Research in Advanced Financial Technology and the Daniel M. DiLella Endowed University Scholarship. In 2007, he established the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate at VSB. In addition to his current membership in the Heritage Society of 1842 at Villanova and the DiLella Center for Real Estate advisory council, DiLella previously served on VSB’s Dean’s Advisory Council and was recently elected to the Villanova University Board of Trustees.

On September 28, 2011, DiLella was honored with the highest distinction VSB can award to an alumnus, the Rev. Joseph C. Bartley, OSA Alumni Medallion. The award was presented to DiLella in the company of VSB’s most supportive business leaders by Villanova University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD.

The Bartley Alumni Medallion recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers, demonstrated service to their communities, and provided extraordinary service to the Villanova School of Business. Through the recipients’ efforts and involvement, VSB is able to deliver a relevant business education and enhance job opportunities for VSB students while embodying the Augustinian Values of Veritas, Unitas, and Caritas (truth, unity, and love).

“You have let me exceed my expectation of myself again with this award,” said DiLella during the award presentation. “So, thank you Villanova University—for accepting me, for teaching me, and for graduating me.”

With a “pay-it-forward” philosophy of giving, DiLella is watching students in real-time benefit from the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate, both