John Delucca ’66, Alumnus, Trustee Emeritus and BCAA President Emeritus

Learning about the life and career of Bloomfield’s John Delucca ’66 conjures up images of the energizer bunny who never stops and just keeps going and going. With a gregarious personality and boundless love of people that together engender him to perpetually seek new endeavors, Delucca says his successes all tie back to the foundation he received at Bloomfield College.

“From my start at Bloomfield College, I made it all the way to serving as an executive vice president of a fortune 500 company,” said Delucca, who earned a bachelor of arts in business administration in 1966 at Bloomfield, and later earned his MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University. “I know I would not have done as much as I have if it were not for what Bloomfield did for me.”

The first in his family to attend college, Delucca came from humble beginnings. He was a commuter student who could not afford a car. Luckily, a neighbor on his block in Nutley where he grew up was attending Bloomfield and offered to give him rides each day. His friend’s schedule made it so Delucca had no choice but to be on campus from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

“I had so many open hours on campus while I waited for my daily ride, that it was natural for me to become involved,” he said. “I got my homework done, went to the library and joined several clubs. I got to know a lot of people, and quickly learned the hierarchy of the student government.”

In an unusual accomplishment for a commuting student, Delucca was voted vice president of his sophomore class. The president of the sophomore class transferred out that same year and Delucca became the president of his class year for the remaining months. When it was time for the next year’s student class elections, Delucca was voted president of the junior class. Simultaneously, he served as president of Tau Alpha Kappa (TAK), one of three fraternities that existed on campus at the time. He also acted as Fraternity Editor of the Minuteman, the College newspaper.

“I joined TAK because it was an inclusive social fraternity with a good amount of diversity which was important to me. We had a lot of fun. One year, it seemed TAK controlled the school in that three class presidents were members of the fraternity. We were known as the ‘animal house’ fraternity. I have great memories of my days at Bloomfield and enjoy reminiscing all the spirited antics we were involved in,” said Delucca.

Today, Delucca is retired after a 30-plus year career in the financial industry where his specialties included financial restructuring, corporate governance and oversight, strategic initiatives and shareholder value creation. His numerous positions held have included serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer with REL Consultancy Group in Purchase, NY and London, UK; Senior Vice President and Treasurer at RJR Nabisco, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration at Coty Inc.; and as an active member on 12 different boards as Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at numerous companies including Endo Pharmaceuticals in Dublin, Ireland for nine years; Elliott Company for nearly 17 years; Deltacom for nearly nine years; and British Energy in London for five years. During his highly successful career path, Delucca found time to also teach graduate business courses as an adjunct professor at the Fordham University Graduate School of Business and at Seton Hall University Graduate School of Business, among others.

In his enthusiastically close association with his alma mater, Delucca served as chair of the Alumni Association for 11 years, earning the Alumnus of the Year Award in 2015. In 2016, he was named Bloomfield College Alumni Association President Emeritus for his leadership and significant contributions at the College.

“Participation in the Alumni Association was small at the time. I recruited friends to get involved and raised attendance at our meetings from about a dozen to 30-35 people,” said Delucca. “We established alumni Homecoming events and held four to five galas over the years with funds raised going to student scholarships. These events brought corporate support and sponsorships, and increased name recognition to the College.”

Delucca also holds the distinction of being named the first Bloomfield College alumnus to serve on its Board of Trustees. He served admirably for over 26 years, holding the position of Vice Chair of the Board for more than a decade, and also served on the Executive Committee, Trusteeship and Development Committee, and Audit Committee of the Board. During these years, he mentored numerous students who have benefited from his guidance. He retired from the Board of Trustees in 2021 at which time he was named Trustee Emeritus.

In addition to his contributions of time and talent, Delucca has generously given to Bloomfield College including a major gift he donated during the building of Franklin Street Residence Hall. A plaque hanging adjacent to the Alumni Rooftop, a popular outdoor event space in the residence hall, acknowledges the gift bestowed in his son’s memory.

“It is important to smell the roses,” said Delucca. “Enjoy the people around you and give back. I have accomplished and contributed as I have due to hard work, luck, timing and, most importantly, networking. That is key advice I like to pass along to current students. Keep in touch with other people, and especially step forward when you can help other people.”