An entrepreneur since the age of 28, Richard A. Angerame of the Maritime College Class of 1973, recognized early on that he had a knack for managing and leading a business.  

Angerame, a native of upstate New York, learned about Maritime College through a mutual friend. As the son of an architect, Angerame was determined at a young age to pursue a career in engineering. He knew from his first day at Maritime that his college experience would require intense focus and dedication. His hard work paid off when, prior to graduation, he received multiple job offers. He accepted the position of service engineer with Carrier Air Conditioning, a major manufacturer of ventilation and air conditioning systems. His office location in New Jersey granted him easy access to New York City.

As fortune would have it, Angerame encountered a fellow Maritime College graduate at Carrier and in partnership, they formed a company of their own, selling it after four years to an English venture capital firm. He soon began establishing companies for the firm and eventually came upon the opportunity to form his own company, Manhattan-based utiliVisor. The company, originally established in 1978, has since expanded nation-wide under his leadership, with offices in Texas and Wisconsin.

Angerame’s engineering insight has allowed him and his team of engineers to develop a business that analyzes and recommends remotely the efficient operation of large boiler, chiller and CHP plants/facilities and also provides submetering services (50,000 meters per month) for commercial office buildings, universities, hospitals, multi-use multi-tenant retail facilities, and transportation hubs. “Our engineers, many of whom are Maritime College graduates, are the best in the country,” he stated.

Angerame’s three sons, Timothy ‘00, Peter ‘04 and Christopher ‘06, inherited their father’s business savvy, each following in his footsteps and acquiring an engineering degree from Maritime College. After establishing their own successful business careers individually, they all joined him over ten years ago, each focusing on a specific aspect of the business. “My sons have been very successful in applying the knowledge and skills they gained at Maritime College,” stated Angerame.

Just before COVID-19 struck in early 2020, Angerame knew it was time to make an unrestricted gift to his alma mater. This type of giving is unique in that there are no limitations on how the funds will be used. “I preferred the unrestricted gift to other types of gifts because the funds can easily go towards building an engineering educational facility that can be used for the next 20 years, or be applied towards any other purpose the College needs.”

After donating a $300,000 unrestricted cash gift to the College, Angerame also committed to gifting an additional $700,000, the majority of which is cash and also includes an in-kind donation of a three-year licensed subscription to the facilities engineering software developed by utiliVisor, making his unrestricted gift the largest ever received. “As someone who has managed a business for over forty years, I view unrestricted funds as seed money. These funds can be applied in different ways and help attract young men and women who can gain the technical knowledge, as well as the business/service aspects of engineering.”   

Angerame, who credits Maritime for a highly successful career, has served on the board of directors of the SUNY Maritime Foundation for the past three years and is fiercely dedicated to seeing the College advance technologically. “Maritime College provides the theoretical and practical aspects for success in the field of engineering and I was fortunate to have met people along the way who taught me. It’s important to give and there is no reason or time not to give.”

At the time Angerame made his $300,000 gift, it was the largest unrestricted gift from an individual in the College’s history. His stated desire was that other alumni would follow his lead. The evolution of this gift wonderfully illustrates how a ‘blended’ gift can be structured to achieve a larger goal than a donor may first envision. By combining a multi-year pledge and a gift-in-kind, Angerame made a million-dollar gift to the SUNY Maritime Foundation that will have a lasting impact on the facilities engineering program for years to come.

The Foundation serves as the official conduit for gifts that support the College, its educational programs, faculty, and students. To explore options, contact Executive Director of the SUNY Maritime Foundation, Aimee Bernstein, Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Doug Hasbrouck, or any development team member. The above article was featured in the 2019-2020 SUNY Maritime College Annual Report, available in its entirely here.