Profile
RICHARD ALLEN BERKFIELD JR
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Educational and Professional Summary:
Graduate of the University of Detroit High School in 1965. Graduate of U of D Mercy – School of Business Administration and MBA Program (1970 and 1972). Served three years on the Management Consulting Staff of Touche Ross & Co, followed by 40 years in the Property and Casualty Insurance industry serving as account executive and independent insurance agency founder.
Current Position:
President, Berkfield & Co, Ltd, Property and Casualty Insurance Agency located in Waterford, MI. Berkfield & Co. is a medium sized independent insurance agency specializing in commercial and personal insurance placement and account management. Berkfield & Co. was started from scratch in 1979 and now serves over 2500 area clients.
President of Berkfield Risk Management Ltd, Property and Casualty Insurance Consultants, providing fee based consulting services. Berkfield Risk Management applies Risk Management Principles and 40 years of insurance industry experience to help reduce insurance premium, claim, and total risk related costs for business clients.
Community Service Accomplishments and Activities:
- Instrumental in the establishment of the Pontiac Rotary College Scholarship Program - $90,000 in scholarships awarded to date
- Instrumental in fundraising for the Pontiac Rotary Scholarship Program – endowed funds now amount to $180,000
- Started the Pontiac Rotary Student of the Month Program – spotlighting the outstanding students in the Pontiac elementary schools
- Led the effort to establish the Pontiac Rotary Scholar Program - a tutoring and mentoring program that will help prepare high school graduates for college
- Has led the Pontiac Rotary Team in the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency "Walk for Warmth" for the past 15 years
- Instrumental in establishing the Accounting Aid Society of Metro Detroit – aids low income citizens file for tax returns – recently returned $8.7 MM to 8300 clients
- Active as a Partner at Cornerstone Schools, Detroit, MI – provides mentoring to elementary age students
- Steering Committee, Blessings in a Back Pack Project, Waterford Schools – provides food to eligible students over the weekends
- 2009 Established a community garden adjacent to his Waterford office and since then donated over 8000 lbs of food to Open Door Resource Center Food Pantry
- 2012 Recipient of the Boy Scouts of America Great Lakes Council Achiever Award
- Elected to the Oakland Community College Foundation Board of Directors, September 2012
- Elected as Chairman of the Oakland Community College Board of Directors in 2017
Personal Information:
Born in Ferndale, Mi, the second oldest of six children. Richard and his wife, Karen reside in Sylvan Lake, MI. and visit with their three children and three grandchildren whenever possible. He spends “free time” boating, golfing, playing bocce, home improving and reading adventure / thriller novels.