(PDF) (DOC) (JPG)August 18, 2022

Liberty Dealerships/DeSilva Family to Receive Havemeyer Presidential Leadership Award

MAHWAH, N.J. – The Ramapo College Foundation will hold its 35th Annual Golf Outing at the Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J., on Thursday, September 15.  Proceeds from the Golf Outing provide student scholarships, fund faculty-student research and support special programs on campus. Century 21 Construction and the Anthony J. Marino family, The Rick DeSilva Family and Liberty Dealerships serve as lead sponsors of the event.

The Havemeyer Presidential Leadership Award is given to individuals who offer their expertise and whose contributions touch the lives of students, faculty and staff at Ramapo College. It is named for Theodore Havemeyer, an American businessman who was the first president of the U.S. Golf Association in 1894. Mr. Havemeyer lived on an estate in Mahwah, which is now owned by Ramapo College. The award will be presented to Rick DeSilva Sr., Michael DeSilva and Rick DeSilva Jr. of Liberty Dealerships.

Rick DeSilva Sr., of Mahwah, is the dealer/owner of Liberty Subaru (Emerson), Liberty Kia (Ramsey), Liberty Hyundai (Mahwah) and Genesis of Mahwah. He sits on the Mahwah Zoning Board of Adjustment, and was a member of Mahwah Board of Education and the Fire Department having served as vice president and president, respectively. He is a member of the Ramapo College Foundation and received the College’s Distinguished Citizen Award in 2012. Rick chaired the Ramapo Rumble Motorcycle Rally from 2011-2014. He has been involved for many years in international and national automobile dealer and retailer organizations and committees, and has appeared on Fox News, MSNBC, ABC News, CNN as an industry expert.  He is past chairman of the American International Auto Dealers Association (AIADA) and is currently a Director of the American Dealers Association (NADA).

He attended Bowling Green University in Ohio, earning a B.S. in marketing/advertising. He lives in Mahwah with his wife Wendy and their beloved dog, Bentley.

Rick DeSilva Jr., of Mahwah, is the dealer/owner of Liberty Subaru (Emerson), Liberty Kia (Ramsey), Liberty Hyundai (Mahwah) and Genesis of Mahwah. He has served on numerous industry committees including the New Jersey Coalition of Auto Retailers (NJCAR), NJCAR Services Board, and the Subaru Retailer Advisory Board. He co-founded the NJCAR NextGen Committee and sits on the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Legislative Affairs Committee, where he is the incoming NJ Director. Rick Jr. worked for Toyota Motor Sales before moving back to Mahwah to join the family business in 2003. He served on the committee of the “Ramapo Rumble” event from 2011-2014, and has been a member of the Mahwah Board of Education since 2012.

He received the 2021 Time Magazine Dealer of the year Award.

He received a B.S. in marketing from Clemson University in 1997 and lives in Mahwah with his wife Michelle and their three daughters.

Michael DeSilva, of Wyckoff, is the dealer/owner of Liberty Subaru (Emerson), Liberty Kia (Ramsey), Liberty Hyundai (Mahwah) and Genesis of Mahwah. He started in the family business at Liberty Subaru in 1999 upon completing his studies at the University of South Carolina. He was instrumental in opening the Liberty Hyundai dealership in 2003 and Liberty Kia in 2016. He is on the Board of Directors and is incoming chairman of the American International Auto Dealers Association. He also is on the Board of Directors and served as past chair of the Wholesale Auto Supply Company, and is Regional Vice President of the New Jersey Coalition of Auto Retailers. He lives in Wyckoff with his wife Kristi and their two children.

“We look forward to another great Foundation Outing and are grateful to our sponsors and participants for their contributions that allow us to raise scholarship funds for Ramapo students,” said Frank Conway, Co-Chair of the Golf Committee. “We also want to welcome the opportunity to recognize Rick, Michael and Rick Jr. for their extraordinary leadership and significant contributions to the College and their communities.

Cost for the outing is $625 per golfer/$2,500 per foursome. Sponsorships are available. To register and for more information, please visit www.ramapo.edu/golf-outing or contact Liz Kloak at lkloak@ramapo.edu or call 201-684-6834.

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About Ramapo College

Ramapo College of New Jersey is the state’s premier public liberal arts college and is committed to academic excellence through interdisciplinary and experiential learning, and international and intercultural understanding. The comprehensive college is situated among the beautiful Ramapo Mountains, is within commuting distance to New York City, was named one of the 50 Most Beautiful College Campuses in America by CondeNast Traveler, and boasts the best on-campus housing in New Jersey per Niche.com. Established in 1969, Ramapo College offers bachelor’s degrees in the arts, business, data science, humanities, social sciences and the sciences, as well as in professional studies, which include business, education, nursing and social work. In addition, the College offers courses leading to teacher certification at the elementary and secondary levels, and offers graduate programs leading to master’s degrees in Accounting, Applied Mathematics, Business Administration, Contemporary Instructional Design, Computer Science, Creative Music Technology, Data Science, Educational Leadership, Nursing, Social Work and Special Education, as well as a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

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