Over the course of his 29 years at the University of Pittsburgh, Ray Vargo provided consulting services to thousands of people striving to start or grow their own business, pouring his energy into every client like their business was his own.
“Personally, I have never seen a man more dedicated to his work than Ray,” said Bob Stein, executive director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence (IEE), part of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “The economic impact he provided was immeasurable. But more than that he was a mentor to me and so many others inside and outside the University, and a true friend.”
Vargo, 53, who has served as director of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) since 2007, died on Thursday April 4, 2024, from cancer.
Vargo joined the Small Business Development Center as a management consultant in 1995. IEE founder Ann Dugan, who hired him shortly after he earned his MBA from California University of Pennsylvania, said, “Ray wanted to focus his career on helping entrepreneurs be successful with his smart, humble and thoughtful approach with all he met. One can find in every corner of our region businesses that credit Ray for having played an important role in their journey.”
One of those he impacted is Eric Sauereisen, president of Sauereisen Inc., an O’Hara Township-based manufacturer of corrosion-resistant materials. Vargo assisted Sauereisen in earning the Small Business Administration PA Exporter of the Year award in 2020.
“Ray helped put us on the map in so many ways. He will truly be missed,” Sauereisen said.
Other tributes have been flooding in from friends and colleagues whose lives he touched.
“Ray became a father figure to me when my father died 20 years ago. He was a great mentor to me during my early years in business. Most of all he was my friend and the best man in my wedding,” said Steve McCarron, vice president at Dollar Bank. “My heart breaks for his wife and children, and those that worked for and with Ray at the Pitt IEE. Ray will be missed but never forgotten. The memories of our times together, and how he counseled business owners will always be a part of who I am. Thank you Ray.”
Vargo’s most shining moment was during the pandemic when he kicked the SBDC into overdrive to help small businesses navigate the turmoil caused by COVID-19 and the flurry of programs that were created to assist them.
His work did not go unnoticed. The Pitt Small Business Development Center was named number one in the country by the Small Business Administration in 2020-2021 for its work during the pandemic, which led Vargo to being named a “Pitt Staff Hero.”
“No matter if the University was open or closed, we found a way to address the needs of the small business community. The lives of so many individuals have been affected,” he said upon receiving the honor. “It’s become my passion to serve the small business community, and there is nothing more rewarding than to help business owners succeed. I’m so proud of the effort and so honored to have the team I that I have.”
Most recently, Vargo was awarded Small Business Development Center Director of the Year in 2023 by the network of Pennsylvania SBDCs. The Pitt Small Business Development Center under his direction also was named Regional Export Promotion Program Member of the Year by the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
“It is hard to find the correct words for Ray. ‘A good man’ fits but does not convey the totality of who Ray is,” said John Earnest, IEE board member.
Vargo is survived by his wife, Chris, and his children Nicholas, Luke, Joshua and Mary. Nicholas is a 2023 Pitt graduate and Luke and Joshua are currently enrolled.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been established for the family.
— Michael Yeomans, Innovation Institute