Nick Donofrio is recognized in the United States and abroad for his engineering leadership and business acumen. A member of numerous professional organizations, he has served on the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education and is a passionate advocate for NVCC.  Now-retired IBM Executive Vice President of Innovation & Technology, and IBM Fellow Emeritus, the company’s highest technical honor, Donofrio is a generous supporter of higher education. He established the Donofrio Students Jobs on Campus Project at NVCC which primarily supports underrepresented minority women who seek an associate’s degree and transfer to one of the four universities in the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system.

Both dreamer and realist, Donofrio has applied the talents and experiences from his 44-year career with IBM to advance technology and its relationship to the people who use and benefit from it. He also recognizes the critical role of professional development to develop and support leadership in technology and business. To the NVCC students, faculty and staff in attendance, Donofrio stressed the importance of self-awareness, with a focus on the balance of heart, soul, body and mind. He reminded the audience to “keep innovating yourselves and learn from your mistakes.” He implored leaders to “enable your teams to be and do their best.”

NVCC President Daisy Cocco De Filippis gratefully acknowledges Donofrio’s generosity to the College and encouraged the audience to learn from Donofrio. “In so many ways Nick gravitated to NVCC and we embraced him because we believe in the same values and moral truths – Our responsibility to our students and communities in creating the conditions for everyone to learn and for our communities to thrive”. 

The event was organized by the Vanguard Leadership Academy (VGA) at NVCC. Established in December 2017, the VGA promotes professional growth toward excellence in teaching, learning, and service to support the NVCC mission, values, and strategic goals. The effort is guided by a Professional Development Committee composed of 15 members from the four academic divisions and other major areas of the college.

In establishing the VGA, President De Filippis recognized that NVCC faculty and staff would benefit from professional development workshops and activities to support their success. The VGA is guided by a Professional Development Committee composed of 15 members from the four academic divisions and other major areas of the college.