David A. Beckerman ’66, ’94 Hon.

David A. Beckerman is the founder and chairman of the Acorn Group, a New Haven-based real estate management and investment company.
Expertise
Mr. Beckerman founded the Acorn Group in 1999. It provides a single source for building solutions for commercial, residential, retail, and manufacturing projects, managing the needs of its clients with end-to-end support, from initial planning and design to construction and build-out of a space that exceeds their requirements.
He led the development of University Commons, a private development located near the University of New Haven that serves students and includes mixed-use retail/residential buildings, including the Atwood (2017) and Park View (2020).
Prior to founding Acorn Group, Mr. Beckerman was founder, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Starter Corporation, a leading sports apparel company that became one of the largest manufacturers of team-licensed sportswear.
Mr. Beckerman has served in a board capacity for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for more than 30 years and was named a “Life Trustee” in 2024, the highest honor awarded to a board member. He has also served on the board of the Shubert Theatre.
Community Service
Mr. Beckerman served on the University of New Haven Board of Governors from 1993 to 2004, including as chair of its Athletics Committee. He was inducted into the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. He was presented the University’s Alumni award of Excellence and received its Outstanding Service commendation.
He has supported the University philanthropically at the principal gift level, including naming the David A. Beckerman Recreation Center, which opened in December 2007. He has also given to the University’s Smart Classrooms Technology Fund, Locker Room Renovation Fund, and the Vieira Baseball Field Fund. He has also advised University leadership on the acquisition of the Allingtown Library in West Haven.
Outside of the University, Mr. Beckerman has made a philanthropic impact in Greater New Haven, across Connecticut, and in Florida. He is president of the David A. Beckerman Foundation, supporting education, the arts, athletics, health, and Jewish organizations, such as the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven. He and his late wife, Ruthann, established the Beckerman Family PACE Challenge, which secures the future of the Greater New Haven Jewish community through newly established and increased Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE) funds.
Education
Mr. Beckerman earned an A.S. in General Studies from the University of New Haven in 1966 and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree in 1994.
Personal
Mr. Beckerman has received numerous honors, including the Anti-Defamation League Torch of Liberty Award. Hamden Hall Country Day School, where Mr. Beckerman served as the school’s varsity basketball coach and was the driving force behind the school’s building campaign, named the Beckerman Athletic Center after him. He was also inducted into Hamden Hall's first Athletic Hall of Fame Class (2014) and the Connecticut Sports Hall of Fame.