Sharing Time, Talent, and Treasure in their Hometown
Mark '78 and Cheryl Milano (WHHS '78)
West Haven natives Mark '78 and Cheryl Milano (WHHS '78) ventured to Massachusetts to attend Boston College, married thereafter, and returned home to raise their family. Their four sons, Dan '02, Pete'05, and twins Greg and Matt '07, attended NDHS and Boston College. Matt is now on the ND faculty. While the Milano family are loyal BC football and hockey fans, their hearts are anchored here in West Haven.
Mark is a graduate of UConn Law School. He clerked in the Connecticut Supreme Court and was admitted to the bar in 1985. After a few years with a firm in New Haven, he formed his own law firm specializing in civil litigation. Mark and Cheryl recognize the many blessings they have received and are conscientious about sharing their time, talent, and treasure with their community. Mark served two six-year terms on the Notre Dame Board of Directors. He was also a board member at Shepherds, Inc. which he and Cheryl support financially and as mentors. Cheryl was a member of the West Haven Community House Board and an officer of the West Haven Rotary Club. Together, they volunteered at Notre Dame during their sons' student years and beyond. In recent years, they have mentored three ND students through the Shepherds program.
Personal assistance and financial aid are central to Mark and Cheryl's philanthropy. They were instrumental in establishing the Class of '78 Scholarship Fund in 1996 and started the Cheryl and Mark Milano '78 Family Scholarship in 2019. "The Shepherds program allowed us to assist the families of young men who, otherwise, could not afford the Holy Cross education they get at ND. We have enjoyed getting to know the students and their families; we keep in touch with them after they graduate from ND."
Mark and Cheryl have been leadership donors to each Notre Dame Capital Campaign. They contribute annually to the Fund for Notre Dame to support student financial aid. Since 2010, they do so by making a gift of appreciated securities, a strategy that benefits Notre Dame and the Milanos. "The donation process is simply a matter of filling out an electronic transfer form and sending it to my financial manager. The gift has a triple benefit. Notre Dame gets the appreciated price of the stock, and we get a deduction against personal income and avoid the capital gains tax."
