The New Bedford Chapter of the Prince Henry Society of Massachusetts will recognize James G. DeMello as 2018 Man of the Year at the annual installation banquet in October. 

“Mr. DeMello is a proud Portuguese-American well known on the SouthCoast for his business acumen, generous philanthropy and strong advocacy for the Portuguese community,” the society said in a news release.

The honoree was born to Ermelinda and George F. DeMello in Dartmouth. His paternal grandparents were from the Azores and his maternal grandparents were from mainland Portugal. The culture, traditions and language of his family’s home country remained front and center in DeMello’s home.

DeMello’s parents recognized that education was the key to success and instilled that belief system in their only child. DeMello attended local Catholic schools before majoring in chemical engineering first at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York and then at Northeastern University. He later attended Wharton School of Management at University of Pennsylvania.