DeFeo Family Endowed Scholarship
Purpose
Established by Iona University Trustee Ron DeFeo ’74,’13H and Andrea DeFeo in 2004, the DeFeo Family Endowed Scholarship aims to advance the academic careers of undergraduate students who are selected based on academic quality, demonstrated leadership ability, and a commitment to excellence. (61130)
History
Ron and Andrea have been giving to Iona University for more than 20 years. In addition to the DeFeo Family Endowed Scholarship (the largest at Iona), they have supported the Iona Scholarship Fund, the Sigma Delta Alumni Scholarship, and the Fund for Iona, among many other University needs. They are members of Iona’s Loyal Gaels Society.
Ron is an accomplished business executive and philanthropist whose career spans over four decades in industrial manufacturing, corporate leadership, and private equity.
Graduating from Iona College in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and philosophy, he launched his career at Procter & Gamble (1974-1984), advancing through various brand management positions. He joined Tenneco Inc. (1984-1992), serving as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of J.I. Case construction equipment in Europe, along with roles in their automotive business.
In 1992, he became president of Heavy Equipment Group for Terex Corporation and soon after served as CEO (1995-2015) and Chairman (1998-2015). Under his leadership, Terex transformed from a $500M company into the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. From 2001-2018, he served on the Board of Directors for Kennametal Inc.
Ron then became the co-founding Partner of Nonantum Capital Partners (2018-present), which manages over $1 billion in assets.
In 1999 he received the Loftus Award and in 2013 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Iona. He currently serves as a Iona University Trustee.
This scholarship fund has helped over 150 students since it’s inception.