ABOUT DANIEL M. DILELLA

Mr. DiLella is a principal of Equus Capital Partners, Ltd., serving as the Firm’s Chairman. Under Mr. DiLella’s leadership, Equus has grown to become a multi-faceted national real estate investment company with expertise in development, investment, asset management, and property management. Mr. DiLella's career as a real estate specialist spans nearly four decades and includes experience in all types of real estate investment and developments throughout the United States. Prior to joining Equus, Mr. DiLella was Vice President of Girard Bank in Philadelphia, where he had a 10-year career in the Commercial Real Estate Department as a lender and a member of the asset recovery team.

Mr. DiLella was a member of the Board of Trustees of Villanova University and funded the establishment of the Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate at the Villanova University School of Business where he is Chair the Real Estate Advisory Council. Mr. DiLella is the recipient of the St. Thomas of Villanova Alumni Medal and the Villanova Bartley Alumni Medallion.

Daniel Dilella


In 2024, Mr. DiLella was appointed Honorary Consul of the Republic of San Marino in Miami, Florida with Jurisdiction over the States of Florida, Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Mr. DiLella is a Trustee of the Cahill Trust and Chair of the Board of Roman Catholic High School. He also serves on the Boards of the National Italian American Foundation and the Museum of the American Revolution. Previous board appointments include the President of the Union League of Philadelphia as well as Chairman of the Scholarship Foundation. Other previous appointments include the Barnes Foundation, the Battleship New Jersey, the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation, the Committee of Seventy, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia Police Foundation, the Philly Pops, the Drexel University Real Estate Advisory Council, and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission where he served as Chair.

Mr. DiLella holds an M.B.A. from St. Joseph’s University and a B.S. in Finance from Villanova University.

Daniel M. DiLella Center for Real Estate
Villanova School of Business
800 East Lancaster Avenue
Villanova, PA 19085
(610) 519-4476
vsb.realestate@villanova.edu

Shawn Howton, PhD
Faculty Director
shawn.howton@villanova.edu

Jessica Taylor
Director
jessica.taylor@villanova.edu

Benjamin Scheick, PhD
Associate Professor & Associate Department Chair
benjamin.scheick@villanova.edu

Charlie Davidson
Associate Professor of the Practice
charles.davidson@villanova.edu

Carly Gulasarian Conrad
Program Administrator
carly.gulasarian@villanova.edu

Tony Ziccardi
Center Fellow
anthony.ziccardi@villanova.edu

The Nova Next Council is a group of young and ambitious members of the Villanova real estate community who provide strategic guidance on the Center’s mission, activities, curricula and professional development opportunities. 


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