Published: August 27, 2019
Vince Naimoli, UT Benefactor and Board of Trustees Chair Emeriti, Dies
Vince Naimoli, a UT Board of Trustee chairman emeriti, and a devoted supporter of UT and higher education, passed away Sunday night.
Naimoli’s relationship with the University spanned nearly 40 years, and he and his wife Lenda’s engagement with the University has made it a stronger institution for students today and for generations to come. He was instrumental in UT’s growth from a small, struggling, regional institution to the model, international university it is today.
In honor of the Naimoli family’s leadership, service and loyal support, three UT athletic facilities bear their name: the Naimoli Family Athletic and Intramural Complex; the Naimoli and Young Family Tennis Complex; and the Naimoli Family Softball Complex.
Additionally, in 1999 Naimoli established UT’s Naimoli Institute for Business Strategy, which provides opportunities for innovative learning about strategy for students and organizations throughout the Tampa Bay region through the Strategic Analysis Program. Since its beginning, the institute has served 750 local companies, and 17,000 students have benefitted from this consulting learning experience.
Naimoli served five terms on the Board of Trustees and was chair of the Board from 1997 to 1999. He chaired numerous committees and was named an emeritus chair member in 2007 for his loyal and distinguished University service. As members of UT’s Pacesetters Society, he and Lenda were part of an elite group of UT donors, and endowed multiple scholarships for male and female student athletes.
In 2012 Naimoli was named to the UT Athletics Hall of Fame as a contributor, and in 2018 received the Sam Bailey Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2005 he received the Champion of Higher Independent Education in Florida award, and in 2018 received the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sports Club of Tampa Bay.
The University of Tampa is blessed to have been associated with Vince Naimoli and his wife, Lenda. Vince Naimoli’s visionary qualities served UT well, and he will forever be considered one of UT’s most trusted advisors and best ambassadors.
