How AIC Shaped Chuck Campagna ’78’s Approach to Leadership
By Alena Williams
What if everything had gone according to plan? For Chuck Campagna, that would have meant never attending American International College—and missing the first lesson that would go on to define everything that followed.
“I actually arrived at AIC a little bit unexpectedly.”
For Campagna, the plan was Syracuse University. He had been recruited since his sophomore year of high school, attending camps and building toward what felt like a certain next step. “So I thought I was off to Syracuse.”
Until, suddenly, he wasn’t.
“April of my senior year in high school, I got a call from the defensive coach saying that unexpectedly a recruit… decided to change his mind and go to Syracuse, which left me sort of out all by myself.
Campagna’s scholarship was significantly reduced, and his plan unraveled. Growing up during the Vietnam War as a first-generation college student with four sisters, he knew his parents couldn’t afford the tuition.
What followed wasn’t glamorous. It was uncomfortable, humbling, and character-defining. It’s the kind of moment that could easily break someone’s confidence. And according to Campagna, it almost did.
“Here I was… not knowing where I was going to go to school. I then had to… go back through all the calls and letters… and start cold calling coaches. There were plenty of times when my phone call ended… you get frazzled and you cry… you don’t know what you’re going to do.”
But this moment also built something deeper; something that would shape not just his college experience, but his entire career.
“I learned perseverance… how to think on my feet… and determination.”
And then, one call changed everything.
“Luckily, Coach Milt Piepul… offered me a visit to [AIC].”
That quickly arranged visit became the turning point. He hit it off with the coaching staff and decided to attend. “It ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.”
At AIC, Campagna didn’t just find a team—he found a standard.By his senior year, he was performing at an elite level, leading the team with 17 quarterback sacks during the 1976 season. But he’s quick to redirect credit, grounding his success in the people around him. Instead of framing his story as individual achievement, Campagna returns—again and again—to gratitude.
“The ’75 team was just a special team, a special group. Quite honestly, if it hadn’t been for the success of the ’75 team and the talent of the players…especially Terry Randolph [’77], I would have probably never been noticed.”
That mindset was shaped by the people around him; teammates who led not just with talent, but with resilience and discipline.
He points to moments like watching Fran Lavigueur ’76 return from a serious back injury and step back into a leadership role, or seeing others like Dave Solheim ’76 lead with relentless effort regardless of size or recognition—lessons that extended far beyond the field.
This same humility shows up in how he talks about preparation, too. In the lead-up to his senior season, there was no shortcut version of the story: just work, on every level, and a willingness to push past comfort.
“[That] summer, I worked out endlessly, worked on my technique… going to a small Division II school, you had to prove that you were worthy of an opportunity.”
Physically, that meant pushing his body before and after long days of working “a very tough construction job” which he knew would also take “mental toughness to get through.”
And even beyond that, he looked for ways to refine the smallest details of his performance.
“I took boxing lessons to be able to improve my hand coordination… and being able to move quickly.”
Underneath it all was a mindset that would stick; a lesson that didn’t stay on the field, but followed him into business, leadership, and every next step.
“I learned at that time that discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishing your goals… Discipline and sacrifice.”
But what stands out most in talking with Campagna isn’t just what he achieved, it’s how he thinks about people.
“I think part of being a good citizen is giving back.”
Now serving on the Board of Directors for the NFL Alumni Association, he sees mentorship not as an obligation, but as something personal.
“I wish I had more people that could have helped me avoid the pitfalls that I came across starting out.”
So he tries to be that person for others—especially younger generations navigating a world he believes is even more complex than the one he entered.
“It’s much harder today… there’s so many more influencing things that can derail you.”
And when he talks about advice for current students or young professionals, it’s never abstract—it’s grounded, direct, and human:
As he tells his children, “Learn from my mistakes.”
“Never quit…if you quit, you know it’s the end. If you don’t quit, you don’t know what the outcome could be.”
“Don’t be afraid to take risks. You have to be bold. Without [risks], you’re always going to stay the status quo.”
That willingness to take risks is exactly what led him to where he is today. Now President and CEO of Amerlux, a brand of Delta Intelligent Building Technologies, Campagna reflects, “I think if somebody had told me when I was at AIC that I would become the President and CEO of a rather large company, I would have told them that they were absolutely crazy.”
“Be kind… be humble and stay true to yourself.”
That last one, he notes, didn’t come from a coach or a rulebook.
“It came from my wife, Lynda.”
Still, out of everything—every pivot, every lesson, every leadership role—there’s one idea that continues to define how he moves through the world.
(Photo by Leon Nguyen ’16)
It started simply, printed on the front of a playbook; something Coach Piepul tried to instill in his athletes and Coach Bob Burke carried forward.
“Pride, poise and execution.”
At the time, it was just a phrase. Brought to him during his first team meeting at AIC, and “being just a kid,” he wondered what it actually meant.
Over time, it became a framework—not just for football, but for how Campagna would move through every stage of his life.
“Take pride in what you’re doing at all times. Strive to be the best.” Not because you’ll always be the best—but because the standard is in the effort, every single day.
“Poise. Always try to maintain control of your emotions.” Because when things get difficult—and they will—losing control is what leads to hesitation. And hesitation, he’s learned, is often worse than being wrong.
“Unless plans are executed, nothing gets accomplished.” You can have the best ideas, the best intentions—but if you don’t follow through, none of it materializes and none of it matters.
It’s a philosophy he’s carried from AIC into the professional world—one he still passes on to the people he leads today.
And it all traces back to that first standard. When I took a moment to pause and reflect, he smiled.
“If I hadn’t attended AIC, I would have never heard that.”