Kevin Curley '80 VSB Named Recipient of 2024 Villanova University Alumni Association Loyalty Award
VILLANOVA, Pa. (November 14, 2024)—The Villanova University Alumni Association (VUAA) has announced the selection of Kevin Curley '80 VSB as the recipient of its 2024 Loyalty Award. The oldest alumni honor conferred by the University, the Loyalty Award was instituted in 1932 and is presented annually to alumni who have rendered distinguished service to Villanova. Recipients for the Loyalty Award are selected by a vote of previous award winners. Curley will receive the award at a ceremony on November 23, 2024.
“It is an honor to present this year’s Loyalty Award to a Villanovan who has served our University community in so many ways,” said Sheila Doherty, Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations. “Kevin has been deeply generous with his time and philanthropy in support of the University, especially the Villanova School of Business (VSB). As a true reflection of Villanovans’ commitment to service and bettering the world around them, his Curley Family Foundation has supported more than 150 organizations over the past 25 years.”
As an alum, Curley has remained closely involved with the University since his graduation in 1980 from VSB. The Exchange in Bartley Hall was named the Kevin M. Curley Family Exchange in recognition of his gift in support of renovations to this popular campus space. He has served as national president of the VUAA Board of Directors and as a member of the VSB Dean’s Advisory Council. Curley demonstrated his deep commitment to Villanova during For the Greater Great: The Villanova Campaign to Ignite Change, when he was chair of the VSB Campaign Committee. He was also a member of the Campaign’s President’s Advisory Council Committee and Executive Committee.
“I am truly humbled to receive the Villanova Loyalty Award,” Curley said. “It is especially meaningful when I consider the prior recipients, who have included Admirals, Hall of Famers, philanthropists and great friends—all of whom have done so much and been so loyal to this University.”
Curley’s membership in Villanova's Giving Societies has included the Carr Society (2014-2024), The Caritas Society and the President's Club, as well as the Villanova Football Ferrante 500. In 2015, Curley received the Reverend Joseph C. Bartley, OSA, Alumni Medallion—the highest distinction awarded by VSB for a distinguished career and extraordinary service. He also co-chaired the Father George F. Riley, OSA, Fund for Augustinian Health Care in 2021, which supports the care of elderly and infirm friars and was named in honor of the Rev. George F. Riley, OSA, PhD, ’58 CLAS, ’61 MA.
Throughout his career, Kevin Curley has founded several companies, including Curley Insurance Group, LLC, a company he built into one of the largest insurance brokers in the country; Curley Financial Group, LLC, an insurance broker; and Lloyd’s of London Underwriting Manager. Curley is the CEO of Killarney Capital which manages the family’s private equity investments, focusing on the energy, real estate and tech industries.
Curley has been recognized for his contributions to the Catholic community and is a member of the Catholic Foundation Advisory Council.
As a philanthropist, he has supported a wide array of causes, including educational initiatives in Ireland, health programs in New York, homelessness and the funding of 46 college scholarships in Texas. He also founded the Shamrock Shootout Golf Invitational which has raised more than $1.7 million for charities over 25 years. Key contributions include the Taylor Hooton Foundation, the Housing Crisis Center, for which he is a long-time board member, and the Highland Park Educational Foundation, among others. Curley served as the Downtown Dallas St. Patrick’s Day Parade Chairperson for 15 years.
Curley is a board member of the Irish Repertory Theater in New York City. In addition, he is a long-time board member of the Ireland Funds, the leading philanthropic organization for Ireland in America. He has also been recognized with the American Ireland Fund’s Corboy Anam Cara (Soul Friend) Award for his outstanding support and service and was the 2022 Business Honoree for the Celtic Football Club Foundation.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.