Published in the University of Bridgeport News on June 19, 2018.
Robert L. Berchem, Esq., has been elected to serve as co-chair of the University of Bridgeport (UB) Board of Trustees by its Executive Committee.
Berchem is principal and president of Berchem Moses P.C., a well-known Fairfield County law firm with offices in Westport and Milford, Connecticut.
He succeeds former co-Chair Frank N. Zullo, Esq., who served on the UB Board of Trustees for 27 years before his passing on May 26, 2018. Berchem will lead the board with co-Chair Thomas Walsh. The Board of Trustees will elect officers to full terms at its next meeting in October 2018.
Berchem has served on the UB Board of Trustees since 2004. He also serves on the Board’s Executive Committee and Administration and Finance Committee.
In addition to his longtime service to UB, Berchem is a former member of the Board of Trustees at Fairfield University.
He currently serves as chairman of the Milford Historic District Commission; a member of the Real Estate Advisory Committee of the Diocese of Bridgeport; and president of the Fairfield University Men’s Basketball Association. Formerly, Berchem served as president of Race Brook Country Club; a member of the Board of Directors of the Cardinal Shehan Center; Board of Directors of Boys and Girls Village; Milford Jaycees; Board of Directors of the Milford-Orange YMCA; Bridgeport Hospital; and an Incorporator of Milford Hospital.
He graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in politics from Fairfield University, then earned his JD from Villanova University School of Law, where he finished first in his class. He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar and clerked for the Honorable William H. Timbers, Chief Judge of the United States District Court of Connecticut. He then received a William W. Cook Fellowship to University of Michigan Law School, where he earned a Master of Laws. After returning to his hometown in 1967, he established the firm that today bears his name.
“Bob Berchem’s contributions to the Board of Trustees have long benefitted UB students. He, along with co-Chair Thomas Walsh, will provide valuable experience and thoughtful direction as the University embarks on its next chapter,” said President Neil A. Salonen, who is stepping down from office on June 30, 2018. “It has been my great privilege to work with Bob, Tom, and the entire Board of Trustees during my 18-year tenure as president, and, prior to that, as a member of the Board. I leave knowing that UB’s future rests in good hands.”
Berchem said he is optimistic about UB’s future. “I’m honored to be elected to serve in this leadership role and to work with President-elect Dr. Laura Skandera Trombley in support of the University’s continued excellence and growth in its role as a premier educational institution and a cornerstone of the ongoing renaissance of the City of Bridgeport.”
Media contact: Leslie Geary, (203) 576-4625, lgeary@bridgeport.edu