The Harvey G. Foster Award - 2018: Vincent J. Naimoli ’59

2018: Vincent J. Naimoli ’59

With this award, Vincent J. Naimoli ’59 is honored for his longtime philanthropy and civic leadership.

Naimoli was born to Italian immigrant parents and grew up in the working class neighborhood of Paterson, New Jersey. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology and in Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. Naimoli rose through the ranks to become the chief executive officer and/or owner of several major corporations while also serving on the boards of multiple organizations.

In 1995, he was instrumental in bringing Major League Baseball to Tampa Bay, and was named the first owner of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; he remains a minority owner of the club. He and his wife, Lenda, are generous philanthropic and civic leaders who have made lasting contributions to Notre Dame—including a generous $5 million gift toward the renovation of the Joyce Center arena—as well as to the greater Tampa Bay community and around the world.

“I am truly humbled to be selected as the 2018 Harvey G. Foster Award recipient by the Notre Dame Alumni Association. I have long been inspired by those who have earned this distinction throughout the years and I sincerely appreciate this recognition. In the spirit of this award, I realize that my success is due in large part to the support of others who guided and mentored me, and our God, who keeps His promise to love and support each of us. Let us never forget the lesson, ‘for unto whom much is given, of him shall be much required.’”