Bellarmine University “knighted” Victor Staffieri, CEO of E.ON U.S. at the university’s annual Knight of Knights black-tie dinner and dance celebration on Saturday, Nov. 15. The honor has been bestowed upon an individual since 1998 in recognition of outstanding support and service to Bellarmine University.
At this year’s ceremony, Bellarmine President Dr. Joseph J. McGowan knighted Staffieri using a sword called Excalibur and dubbed him Sir Vic of Florence.
Staffieri was named to his current position in 2001. He has 27 years of experience in the electric and natural gas utility industry. Staffieri has a bachelor's degree from Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and a Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law, New York. He belongs to the board of directors of the Edison Electric Institute in Washington and Leadership Louisville. Additionally, he chairs a business task force on postsecondary education in cooperation with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
The evening’s theme was “A Knight in Florence.” To accomplish the concept, Bellarmine transformed an indoor tennis facility into Florence landmarks – the Uffizi Museum as the cocktail area and a dining area outfitted as the Palazzo Vecchio.
Past Bellarmine Knights include: Owsley Brown Frazier (1998), the late Monsignor Alfred F. Horrigan (1999), Nolen Allen (2001), James A. Patterson (2002), Bill Samuels (2003), Dr. Allan Lansing (2004), C. Edward Glasscock (2005), and Joseph P. Clayton (2006) and Stephen A. Williams (2007). A “knighting” was not held in 2000 so that Bellarmine could celebrate its 50th anniversary.
Bellarmine University is an independent Catholic university offering more than 50 majors, as well as graduate degree programs and a doctor of physical therapy. Forbes magazine and the Princeton Review rank Bellarmine among America’s best colleges, and U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Bellarmine as a top tier university.