When Steve Villas ’75 gives a talk, people don’t just listen. They follow him out of the room to keep the conversation going.
That’s precisely what happened this past June when he spoke to the Summit Old Guard in New Jersey. The 10-minute Q&A following his talk on the petroleum industry stretched to 35. When the room had to be cleared for another event, several attendees trailed after him to continue the discussion.
That’s the kind of energy he hopes to bring this spring when he speaks to Peter Trager’s finance class at Lehigh’s School of Business.
“I’ll open by asking if any of them have experience in the oil industry. Something like, ‘Fill’er up, ma’am?’” he jokes. “I’ll know I’ve hooked them if they’re not on their phones.”
With his sharp humor and 45 years in the oil industry, it’s a safe bet that TikTok doesn’t stand a chance. In retirement, he’s channeling the same drive that fueled his career into paying it forward, especially to the Lehigh community that, as he says, “gave me everything.”
A Foundation for Life
Born in the Bronx, Villas moved with his family to Harrington Park, New Jersey, at age three. He grew up in a “solidly middle-class household” and worked at a local hardware store throughout high school. One of the regulars, Hal Oberkotter Jr. ’70, encouraged him to look into the university.
“Lehigh wasn’t even on my radar,” Villas recalls. “Hal knew I wanted to study engineering and told me Lehigh has a great engineering school. My parents and I visited Lafayette first, then Lehigh, and on the way home, I said, ‘It’s Lehigh.’”
In a small-world twist, Oberkotter would later become the brother-in-law of Beall Fowler '59, with whom Villas now serves on the College of Education Advisory Council.
“Lehigh gave me everything, both educationally and personally,” Villas says. “My education, career, independence, lifelong friends, even my wife.”
"Lehigh gave me everything, both educationally and personally [...] My education, career, independence, lifelong friends, even my wife."
Villas met his wife, Liz, a Bethlehem native, through mutual friends, and the couple married at Packer Memorial Chapel. They renewed their vows there 40 years later. Liz, who was a schoolteacher, has since been diagnosed with dementia, and Steve now helps care for her at home with the devotion and humor that have defined their nearly five decades together.
He still keeps in touch weekly with Paul Irvine ’75 and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity brothers Mike Miller ’75 and Roger McKinney ’75.
Not Your Typical Engineer
“Even though I’m a Lehigh engineer, I’m capable of doing things out of order,” Villas laughs. “And after 45 years, my friends know I’m high maintenance.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree in engineering, he went on to earn an MBA in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His career spanned the global petroleum industry — from Exxon and Standard Oil of Ohio to BP and Hess Corporation — encompassing roles in chemical plant design, oil and gas marketing, financial hedging, and global logistics.
Add “world traveler” to the list. Villas logged more than 6.5 million frequent flier miles over his career.
“I’ve been to Russia six times, China three times, and I lost track of Southeast Asia,” he says.
Finding Strength Through Lehigh
Villas’s Lehigh connection had already shaped his family, and it would prove vital again years later after he and Liz’s only child, Michael, was diagnosed with fragile X syndrome — a genetic disorder that can cause intellectual disabilities.
Through the university, Villas connected with Michael George, then director of the Centennial School, Lehigh’s lab school for children with behavioral and learning challenges, as well as for future teachers preparing to work with them.
“The most important thing that Dr. George did for us was to tell us that everything was going to be OK and that Michael was going to be OK,” Villas says.
Grateful for that support, Villas and Liz established the Villas Family Scholarship Endowment in 1996. It supports students pursuing degrees in special education or those involved with the Centennial School.
“I am so proud the scholarship has grown, thanks to astute investing from Lehigh and our continued support,” Villas says. “We’ve opened it up to the dean’s discretion. If a student wants to be a school psychologist in the special education space and money is the only obstacle, we want to help.”
Beyond philanthropy, Villas has devoted years of service to the university. He currently serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council and previously served on the Alumni Association Board.
“The least valuable thing I can offer Lehigh is my money,” he says. “I’ve been blessed with incredible life experiences, and I want to share that. The deans and professors have forgotten more than I’ll ever know about teaching teachers. Still, I know a few things about organizational design and performance metrics. If any of my accumulated knowledge can help [acting dean of the College of Education] Robin Hojnoski [...], that’s worth more than any check. They’ll teach teachers, who will teach teachers, and so on. The ripple effects spread out to thousands.”
Failure as a Launchpad for Success
Recently, a Lehigh senior who found him through networking reached out for advice on interviewing with a company Villas once worked for. True to form, Villas didn’t hesitate to help.
“If someone’s interested in what I’ve done, all they have to do is ask,” he says. “I’m happy to share whatever I can.”
As Villas celebrates his 50th reunion this year, he reflects on the lessons that shaped his success and the message he wants to share with all Lehigh students.
“Try things and don’t be afraid to fail,” he advises.
Early in his career, he was assigned to a role he disliked but thought he was handling well. His boss disagreed. “It was forced on me, and I didn’t realize that the fact that I hated it showed,” he admits.
Fortunately, Villas had built up enough goodwill with the firm to avoid being fired, but he had to take a step back. The setback became a turning point.
“I excelled after that lesson. And then I zoomed forward in my career. I would not have achieved what I did without that step backwards.”
When Villas talks, his stories blend humor, humility, and gratitude. His legacy isn’t just financial. It’s the ripple effect of generosity, mentorship, and heart.
“Money isn’t the most important thing you can give,” he says. “What matters is what you share of yourself.”
