Charles “Charlie” Berardesco, JD ’83, Makes Transformative Bequest to Support GW Law

For Charles “Charlie” Berardesco, JD ’83, George Washington University Law School is more than just a place where he spent three years. GW Law continues to be a touchstone, allowing him to meet his sense of duty to new generations of law students and serving as a place for his professional legacy to take root and grow.

“Most of the work I've done at the law school has been around making the experience better for students,” said Berardesco. He is a firm believer in finding a particular passion within the law and following it professionally, no matter what a student might have studied in law school.

Toward that goal, Berardesco recently increased his bequest, set aside to support the Dean's Fund and to establish the Berardesco & Thurston Endowed Scholarship, to $8 million. This gift comes from Berardesco and his husband, Jeffrey Thurston, who are active donors to a number of other charitable organizations, including choral societies and other educational institutions.

Moreover, Berardesco has dedicated decades of service to GW Law, making vital contributions such as helping select a new dean for the Law School (twice) and assisting with the formulation of the School’s strategic plan. A member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, he was also the Grand Marshal at last year’s law school commencement ceremony.

Now retired, Berardesco had a distinguished career at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), having served as its interim president and chief executive officer. His work at NERC followed a long career with Constellation Energy, where he served as senior vice president, general counsel, corporate secretary, and chief compliance officer.