Lackenmier Award
The 2024 Lackenmier Award Honoree: Robert J. Ciaruffoli, CPA ’75
Ciaruffoli is a co-founder and chairman of Broad Street Angels, a 126-member Philadelphia-based angel investor network that invests in start-up entrepreneurial businesses with high growth potential. Broad Street Angels is the largest angel investor network in the Philadelphia region.
Mr. Ciaruffoli is a CPA and was the chairman and CEO of the Parente Beard/Baker Tilly accounting and advisory firm. During his tenure as chairman and CEO, he and his team transitioned the firm from a Pennsylvania practice to a multi-state super-regional firm. In 2014, he and his team orchestrated a merger of the Parente Beard and Baker Tilly Virchow Krause firms to create the 12th largest US accounting and advisory firm.
Bob was president and chairman of the 8th World Meeting of Families – Philadelphia 2015, which involved organizing and building the “infrastructure” to host Pope Francis’ historic visit to Philadelphia, attracting approximately 2 million people to Center City Philadelphia over two days. This event was the ultimate planning project as it required raising $53M to fund the Papal visit and related events and involved extensive collaboration with the Vatican, U.S. Secret Service, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, and many other partners to make this Papal visit a success for the Vatican, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the City of Philadelphia. For his efforts, Pope Francis Knighted Bob in 2016.
Mr. Ciaruffoli has served on numerous for-profit and not-for-profit boards throughout his career. Presently, he is a board member and chair of the audit committee of Medicus Pharma Ltd, a publicly traded life science and biotechnology company; a board member and chair of the finance committee of Ben Franklin Technology Partners; and a board member and chair of the finance committee of Founding Forward, a national nonprofit that promotes and sponsors civics education. He is a past chairman of the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy.
Mr. Ciaruffoli holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Kings College, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and has proudly served in the United States Marine Corps (1970 – 1972).
About the Lackenmier Award
In 2014, King's College established an annual award for achievement and leadership in the name of Father James Lackenmier, C.S.C., seventh president of the College. The Reverend James Lackenmier, C.S.C., Award for Achievement and Leadership is presented annually to a King's constituent who has achieved excellence in his/her field, who has demonstrated exceptional philanthropy and high ethical standards, and who embodies the spirit of King's College.
Father Lackenmier graduated from Stonehill College in 1961 with a B.A. in Philosophy and an S.T.L. from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome in 1965. He holds two masters degrees in English and Religion & Literature from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and The University of Chicago, respectively.
Ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in December 1964, Father Lackenmier has been devoted to the ministry of education. He arrived on King's campus in 1974 serving as the College Chaplain and later as the Director of Development before becoming President. While at King's College, Father also served as Local Superior from 1974-1978.
Since leaving King's College, Father Lackenmier has ably served as Treasurer for the Congregation of Holy Cross. He has served as Provincial Steward of the Eastern Province, Local Superior of the Holy Cross communities at Stonehill College, Cocoa Beach, Florida, and at Our Lady of Fatima House at Notre Dame.