Get to Know Phi Kappa Tau’s Next National President: Michael Lummus

Ask National President-elect, Michael Lummus, to boil down his vision for the Fraternity, and he starts with the value provided to our undergraduate brothers. “It's Phi Kappa Tau's responsibility to support our chapters in becoming vibrant and engaged bastions of fraternity life - the vision is for every chapter to thrive,” he said. 

Phi Kappa Tau is on the brink of an exciting new chapter As we prepare for the National Convention in July in Orlando, we are also preparing to welcome Michael Lummus, Belmont ’06, as our next National President.

 Elected to succeed President Mike McCrum by the National Convention in 2023, Michael’s ascension to the presidency was solidified by a unanimous Vote of Confidence of the National Council, as outlined in our Constitution. With a lifelong commitment to Phi Tau, a proven track record of leadership, and a strategic vision for the fraternity’s future, Michael is uniquely positioned to guide our brotherhood forward. 

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A Phi Tau Journey: From Founding Father to National Leadership 

Michael’s Phi Tau story began at Belmont University, where he was a Founding Father of Zeta Alpha Chapter. Like many brothers, Michael is a first-generation Greek who didn’t initially plan to join a fraternity. But when he met the Phi Taus working to establish a chapter at Belmont, he knew he had found his home. 

As Chapter President and Treasurer, he helped charter Zeta Alpha, laying the foundation for a strong and lasting brotherhood. He was also recognized as Belmont’s Greek President of the Year and was awarded Phi Kappa Tau’s prestigious Shideler Award as an undergraduate. 

His commitment to Phi Kappa Tau didn’t stop at graduation. For the past 20 years, Michael has traveled to dozens of campuses, mentoring brothers, advising chapters, and serving the fraternity in key leadership roles. Over that time, he has volunteered at more than 30 fraternity educational programs, encompassing every program type the fraternity has offered in the era. His service also includes chairing several National Committees (Strategic Planning, Borradaile Challenge, Alumni Engagement (Digital Chair), and Nashville Convention Host Committee), as a Board of Governors member, Domain Director (Stennis Award recipient), National Councilor, and National Vice President. 

Beyond his deep roots in Phi Kappa Tau, Michael is a proven leader in the professional world. Currently Senior Vice President of Strategy & Chief of Staff at Aprimo, a leading content management software business, Michael has a successful track record leading strategic planning, organizational design, mergers & acquisitions, and new product development. He’s built a career leading transformational growth and empowered company cultures, connecting big-picture strategy with opportunity, and ensuring that vision turns into results.  

Modeling a lifetime commitment to learning, in addition to an undergraduate degree from Belmont University, he holds an MBA from Auburn University and certifications from Dartmouth College, McKinsey, and Pragmatic Institute. 

Michael has dedicated himself to strengthening Phi Tau, championing that every chapter has the support, guidance, and resources to thrive. Now, as he steps into the role of National President, he brings to Phi Tau a unique blend of leadership, business acumen, and strategic vision— with a passion for service and belief in the power of brotherhood. 

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We recently had a conversation with Michael to talk about the future of Phi Tau: 

Question: Where do you see Phi Kappa Tau today? 

Michael Lummus: Phi Kappa Tau’s brotherhood is strong, and men have never needed fraternity more than they do today. Like all Greeks, we have our challenges – both internal and from the outside - but I’m excited about the direction we’re headed in and the opportunity ahead of us.  

Over the past 3 years, we’ve embarked on a transformation – we’ve invested in recruitment, launched new flagship programs like Zenith Officers Institute, hired a new CEO, and improved national governance with more transparency and professional policy-making than ever before - just to name a few. Some of those changes are already having positive effect – for instance, Phi Kappa Tau was the 2nd-fastest growing fraternity in the country last year. Our educational event attendance is nearly 500 brothers already so far in 2025. 

But we need to keep improving, and the impact of many exciting behind-the-scenes initiatives is just about to start. Whether it’s chapter support, education, housing, alumni engagement, or digital experience – we’re in the early innings of a multi-year transformation that will result in Phi Kappa Tau leading the way in supporting our chapters and brothers.  

We’ve made tons of great headway under President McCrum’s excellent leadership and have several big things underway. I’m focused on doing my part to ensure their fruition. We are making an impact - we have a lot more work ahead but are on the right track!  

Question: Help us get to know you outside of Phi Tau.

Michael Lummus: I live in Nashville, Tennessee, with my beautiful wife, Jessica, and our bernedoodle pup, Andi. I’m blessed to have an incredible partner who understands the importance of Phi Kappa Tau in my life and supports my service to it. Outside of career, fraternity, and family, I love rooting for Nashville’s sports teams and spending time outdoors. We have a weekend cabin in the woods that has become my happy place, whether I’m unwinding or tackling projects like trail-building. Living in Music City also means I’m never far from great live music, which I try to take advantage of. One fun fact: my younger brother, Matt, is also a proud Phi Tau.

Question: What are your priorities as the incoming National President?

Michael Lummus: A central theme will be enhancing the fraternity experience that Phi Kappa Tau provides our brothers. All our priorities and decisions should be evaluated through the lens of how they impact our brothers’ experience at an individual and chapter level, whether undergraduate or alumni. It may sound simple, but when put into practice it can have an immense impact. You will see that theme reflected in a new Strategic Plan that the National Council is currently preparing and will set the course for the coming years. The Phi Tau experience is also meant to be fun, which we can’t neglect even as we go about the organization’s business.  

My commitment to you, as the brothers of our fraternity, is focus on: 

1. A unified brotherhood – Strengthening our connections and the values that bring us together. 

2. Stronger chapters - Ensuring chapters have the resources they need to become vibrant, healthy, and long-lasting.  

3. Maximizing the value of our programs - Creating impactful experiences that advance our brotherhood and mission. 

4. World-class management – As fiduciaries, ensuring Phi Tau is well-managed, financially sound, and built for long-term success. 

Additionally, I'm dedicated to a thoughtful, comprehensive transition in partnership with President McCrum. We’ll have a seamless handoff that hits the ground running on day one. 

Question: Is there anything else you’d like the brothers of Phi Kappa Tau to know? 

Michael Lummus: My door is always open - I genuinely want to hear from you. Your thoughts, experiences, and input matter and truly shape our direction. Feel free to email me (mlummus@phikappatau.org), call or text me (615-428-1694), or find me on Instagram (@lummus.pkt).  

Phi Kappa Tau needs you. Whether serving as a chapter officer, volunteering on a Board of Governors, supporting as a donor, or simply checking in on a brother with a thoughtful text, your involvement strengthens our brotherhood. When we build each other up, our brotherhood is our greatest strength. 

Zenith Officer Institute 2025: Building Leaders, Strengthening Brotherhood

What better way to kick off the New Year than with brothers from all over the country? 

From January 9-12, Phi Kappa Tau hosted Zenith Officer Institute at the Hilton Rosemont O’Hare in Chicago, Illinois. Now in its third year, this annual leadership summit brought together over 200 participants, including chapter Presidents, Treasurers, Membership Orientation Officers, and Recruitment Chairmen, for a weekend of leadership development, collaboration, and inspiration. 

Participants played a very active role in the program.

For the first time, officer tracks were divided into smaller cohorts, creating intimate breakout sessions that allowed for tailored guidance and meaningful discussions. Attendees explored actionable strategies and gained tools to strengthen their chapters. 

The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation played a critical role in making this program a success. The Foundation provided necessary funding to the program and aided the travel of many undergraduate participants. Their dedication ensured that the financial burden of attending was minimized, allowing more brothers to participate in this life-changing experience. Phi Kappa Tau extends its sincere gratitude to the Foundation for their unwavering support. Through the sale of “Badges of Honor and Credit”, small stickers participants can add to their name-tags to show alumni support, the Foundation instilled a meaningful spirit of philanthropy into the entire event. 

Flores delivering his Keynote Address.

Guillermo Flores, Southern Illinois ’08, founder of the successful Fraternity marketing platform Fraternity Social Media, delivered the keynote address. His powerful insights encouraged brothers to embrace innovative storytelling techniques to better market their fraternity experience and amplify the impact of Phi Kappa Tau in their communities. 

Michael Wheeler, Kentucky ’22, inspired attendees to continue their commitment to service, celebrating a remarkable 1000% increase in SeriousFun camp volunteerism last year. Wheeler emphasized the profound impact of serving children with serious illnesses, motivating brothers to take the next step in leadership through service. 

Councilors were able to make strong connections with undergraduate participants.

With National President Mike McCrum, Texas State ’75,  and CEO Matt Arnold, Southern Illinois ’24 ,delivering the opening and closing of the event – the men were primed to learn, and left feeling energized for the semester.  As Gamma Mu at Bradley University shared on Instagram, “We look forward to having our officers share all the information and knowledge gained through this conference.” Similarly, Alpha Omega at Baldwin Wallace reflected, “It was inspiring to connect with brothers from other chapters.” 

Phi Kappa Tau also extends a heartfelt thank-you to all the volunteers—both within and outside the organization—whose dedication and support made the weekend a success.  

The Zenith Officer Institute 2025 exemplified the essence of Phi Kappa Tau: developing men of character into Men of Distinction. 

To Go Far, One Must Take the First Step

By Chad Corbitt, Florida State '06  

(This piece was taken from our the Fall 2024 issue of The Laurel, click here to read the full issue.)

In this issue of the Laurel, you’ve seen many of Phi Taus most loyal volunteers, and Chad Corbitt, Florida State '06, can certainly be included among those names. As a new Foundation Trustee, Corbitt will continue to give his time to the betterment of our Foundation and Fraternity. However, the story below is not of his time volunteering for Phi Tau but detailing his recent mission trip to Guatemala. Corbitt’s dedication to serving others is the embodiment of our Fraternity’s most sacred values, and hopefully it inspires you to take one small step in service of a cause you’re passionate about.  

My time is split working for a family office on their alternative investment strategy and an educational VR tech company. I’m a member of the Beta Iota chapter at FSU and was initiated in 2006. The fraternity taught me the importance of thinking beyond myself and how to make an impact in the community.  

Whether it was raising money for local schools in Tallahassee, volunteering at the Humane Society with our Chapter Advisor Liz Maryanksi, hosting the world’s largest water balloon flight as our philanthropy, or the myriad of service and philanthropy events our chapter participated in, the fraternity, especially the brothers before me, ingrained in me a deep passion to truly live as a man of character, to do more.   

(Corbitt, Far Left)

Since graduating, my professional life has revolved around entrepreneurship, but giving back to others has remained a constant. I’m fortunate enough to be on several charitable boards, taking time each year to work with Christ’s Starfish Foundation to ensure kids in local hospitals receive Christmas presents. I’m also honored to serve on the Library Board of Advancement for Florida State University. This is a privilege, but at times, it is difficult to balance with everyday life—being married and having a 6-year-old daughter at home adds additional time constraints (for those with young kids, you know this is my polite statement to explain my life is chaos).  

In the summer of 2023, I had the calling and decided to go on my first mission trip to Guatemala, which took place this past July. This decision came with several questions: could I balance this trip with work? Will my wife and daughter accept me leaving for a long time? What should I expect in a foreign country? When you get the call, you must find a way. If you are expecting an article about somebody who has done this kind of trip 100 times and led hundreds of people to do the same—this isn’t that article.  

The invitation to go to Guatemala came from my cousin Karen, who had been on a couple of trips and trusted the organization Medical Missions Outreach (MMO). MMO works with local churches in areas of need. When they arrive at a location, they bring medical supplies and medications, along with dentists, doctors, nurses, medical students, and non-medical volunteers like myself. After signing up for the trip, I didn’t think much about it, but as the days grew closer, I felt nervous, preparing myself by praying about it and asking others to pray for me. I prayed for travel safety, for being able to connect with people although my Spanish is terrible, and that I wouldn’t grow frustrated with my mom, who was a nurse, and decided to surprise join me on the trip.  

The day had come, and I boarded my flight. The day was jampacked with travel—landing in Guatemala City, then endeavoring through a 3-hour bus ride that turned into a 10-hour ride because of a rockslide and car accidents. The extended bus ride allowed me to get to know the medical team and others on the trip with us as we traveled to the city of Retalhuleu. It was impressive to meet people who left their hospital, dental practice, and other jobs, not to mention their families, to help others. We finally arrived at our hotel late at night. The room was tiny and hot, and we were informed we couldn’t drink the water. What was I thinking?  

The next morning, we set up the clinic which was in an open-air school on summer break. Given my nerdy IT background, I made myself useful by figuring out the internet connectivity with cylinder block walls for the electronic medical record (EMR) system and was given my assignment of working in the optical area. My experience to date of optometry was going to get glasses once a year. The staff and volunteers trained me on the initial vision screening and how to decipher what came from the autorefractor to get the sphere, circumference, and axis measurements. We poured through boxes of donated glasses to try to find a pair that was as close as possible to their vision, fit their head – and with some luck – was stylish enough for them to wear.   

In the morning, we went to church in the same building. Nothing makes you aware of all the unused space in your own house taken for granted like immersing yourself in a place where you must make do with the space at hand. The Sunday message focused on three main points: (1) Love your neighbor; (2) Love is often inconvenient; and (3) be on the lookout for people to love. I pondered the connection between our values as fraternity men learned long ago, the message on Sunday, and the school values posted in that tiny school.  

The first morning the clinic was fully open and there were well over 100 people already waiting upon our arrival. Nerves took over, because for the first time I wasn’t in control or leading, but I was just a simple person working in a clinic helping one patient at a time. We hustled as fast as we could, because the waiting room continued to crowd, and every day once the daylight escaped us, the interior lights would not be enough to conduct our work. The people we served had working wages equal to $5-$15/day and glasses can cost between $150-$300. Think about that…  

We did this for a week. At the end of each day, I was tired but fulfilled. There was always a reward for grinding away person after person—they smiled with me, hugged me, and cried; some parents saw their children for the first time in their full beauty. Some were happy just to read again, and some were amazed at how beautiful the world was now that they could see clearly. In the end, we saw 1,645 patients and I wish we could have doubled that, because nothing hurt more knowing that some people had to be turned away. Some waited 8 hours to see us and it brought me to tears multiple times that I was fitting somebody for glasses that needed them so badly they waited in the hot sun for hours. These people wouldn’t understand the trivial issues we complain about – and nor should they. They want to work, live their life, spend time with friends and family, and be happy. It truly puts into perspective our daily struggles and how mundane and inconsequential they are compared to those in need.  

I said earlier this article wasn’t going to be a charge to lead 500 trips to lands across the world or some grandiose mission. My hope is by reading this you hear about a brother who is tired, overworked, juggling a marriage and kid, and had the calling to take one small step. It doesn’t need to be grandiose. You don’t need to lead anything…just take one small step. Help somebody in one small way. Whether the calling comes spiritually or because the values of who you are, be the Good Samaritan and help somebody along the path of life. I heeded the call from God, and I am thankful for the opportunity, strength, and ability He gave me. Our collegiate and fraternal experiences may no doubt have been different – but what binds us is a commitment to something higher than ourselves, a calling to our fellow man, a calling that imbues upon us a sense of duty near and far.  

God willing, I will be back on another medical trip soon. If you ever have considered going on a trip – DO IT!  It is incredible and every bit of concern, stress, and inconvenience I experienced doesn’t hold a candle to the fulfilling experience you will receive. This trip helped me understand that it is the small steps, acts of love, and serving with a kind heart that the world needs. I’m thankful for the values I learned as a member of Phi Tau and what it engrained in the very fiber of my existence—leading me to this experience. I’m damn proud to represent the fraternity wherever I go, no matter how far that is.  

P.S. Your first small step can be donating your old glasses to an organization that will help you find a new home for them. I am biased toward MMO, but there are dozens. People need those glasses, and an extra couple of minutes to find a donation box will change somebody’s life. Remember, love is often inconvenient.   

SeriousFun Stipend Renamed to Honor Bill Jenkins

Jenkins at Camp Boggy Creek in Florida

A fund to provide travel stipends to students who volunteer, intern or serve on the staff of a SeriousFun Children’s Network camp for seriously ill children has been re-named in memory William D. Jenkins, former Phi Kappa Tau as Executive Director and Executive Vice President of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation who died September 23, 2024.

Jenkins became an ardent supporter of the SeriousFun camps as soon as Phi Kappa Tau adopted the organization, founded by Phi Kappa Tau alumnus Paul Newman, as its national philanthropy in 1996 “Mr. Bill” as he was affectionately known, personally volunteered as a cabin counselor in his 70s and found the camp experience to be life changing. Phi Kappa Tau continues to be the largest single source of male volunteers at SeriousFun camps.

As a consultant to the Delta Zeta Foundation, Jenkins encouraged the sorority’s support of SeriousFun’s Painted Turtle Camp in California as a nod to their mascot turtle. In 2006, The Painted Turtle became the National Service Project of Delta Zeta undergraduate and alumnae chapters and since 2020, the entire SeriousFun Children’s Network has been a Global Service Project of Delta Zeta.

In 2023-24, nearly 60 Phi Taus served as volunteers, interns or staffers at SeriousFun camps around the world, many of who received stipends from the Jenkins Fund. To honor Bill’s memory. Please consider a gift to the Jenkins Fund by clicking here:

Click here to give to the stipend directly.

Phi Kappa Tau Reaches Largest Average Chapter Size in Years

51. What does that number mean to you? This year, for Phi Kappa Tau, it means growth. Chapters across the board did remarkably well in their recruitment efforts this Fall which buoyed the average chapter size of our organization to 51 members per chapter.  

Chapters like Gamma Beta at Cincinnati played a major role in our overall growth success!

This, of course, is just one metric we look at to determine the health of our organization and doesn’t paint the full picture. To give some context, our previous average chapter size was typically in the mid-40s for the past several years. With a current undergraduate base of 4,145 members, we are seeing significant improvement and sustainability in overall membership growth.  

Zooming in, we saw several individual chapters achieve great success with their recruitment numbers. Among them, Alpha Lambda at Auburn took in a strong 50-man associate class and initiated 100% of their new members. Gamma Beta at Cincinatti had one of their largest associate member classes in years, taking in 20 members. Gamma Psi at Texas State took in 36 men after rejoining their campus’ Interfraternity Council. Lambda chapter at Purdue had perhaps the most dramatic turnaround in membership size, growing from just under 10 members to 78 members this fall.  

Expansion chapters like Gamma Omicron at Cal State Fullerton are integral to overall organizational growth.

Our growth efforts were also supported by the creation of new chapters led by the executive offices Growth Team. New chapters were re-established at Cal State Fullerton (Gamma Omicron), Texas A&M (Epsilon Alpha), and our newest restart at SUNY Oswego (Epsilon Eta). Gamma Omicron and Epsilon Alpha began with 37 associates thanks to the onsite presence of the growth teams.  

Growth Consultants will be sent to SUNY Oswego and UC Davis in the Spring, in addition to continually supporting chapters with their growth efforts. The revolutionary Recruitment Services Initiative (RSI) has proven to be a massive success for our chapters, and we can’t wait to see how we will continue to grow year after year. Looking to the future, our growth team continues to look to improve our chapters’ growth effort through the implementation of the Phi Kappa Tau Growth system and educating men onsite in Chicago this year at this year’s Zenith Officer Institute.  

If you or a leader of your chapter is looking to see how they can continue to enhance their recruitment systems, please reach out to the Associate Director of Organizational Growth via email at rcallahan@phikappatau.org. 

(The Growth Team Consists of: Hunter Pemberton (Director of Organizational Growth), Ryan Callahan (Associate Director of Organizational Growth), Zak Belbina (Senior Growsh Consultant), Noah Shipley (Senior Growth Consultant)) 

The Life and Legacy of William D. Jenkins - "Mr. Bill" Enters Chapter Eternal

A memorial service will take place for Bill on October 26th, 2024 at 1:00pm at the Oxford Presbyterian Church (101 N Main St, Oxford, OH 45056)

William D. Jenkins (1937-2024)

William D. Jenkins (Bowling Green 1957) entered chapter eternal on September 23, 2024, following a long illness. “Mr. Bill” as he was affectionately known, was one of the most consequential leaders in Phi Kappa Tau and in the greater Greek community for more than half a century. Bill was a giant in the Greek world. No Phi Tau except Jack Anson, Colgate ’47 comes close to matching Bill’s influence on that community and its leaders.

Born and raised in Ravenna, Ohio November 9, 1937, near Cleveland, He enrolled in Bowling Green State University, majored in business, later changing his major to art and joined the marching band. He was invited to join Beta Tau Chapter and was initiated on January 18, 1957. He attended his first National Convention in Pasadena, California in 1958 where he met Founders Shideler and Borradaile, Roland Maxwell and other Phi Tau luminaries. At the time of his death, he held the record for having attended more conventions than any Phi Tau alive. This connection to the national fraternity inspired him to accept an offer to join the fraternity’s professional staff as a field secretary upon his graduation. National Secretary Richard J. Young retired shortly after Jenkins’ arrival on the staff and when the assistant secretary, Jack Anson was not immediately appointed to replace Dick Young, Bill was appointed acting national secretary.

Jenkins with Founder Borradaile

By the time Anson returned to the staff as National Secretary, Bill had been drafted and was away in the service, returning in 1964 and quickly becoming Anson’s assistant and right-hand man. He remained in that position until 1970 when Anson left to become the Executive Director of the National Interfraternity Conference, now North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), as it was then known and he assumed the recently re-named role as Executive Director of Phi Kappa Tau. His time in that position was challenging. In the tumultuous years of the 1970s, the popularity of fraternities waned. Chapters closed. Others defaulted on loans and revenues to support fraternity operations dwindled. After the better part of two decades on the Phi Tau staff, Bill left in 1978 to work for Compolith Graphics in Indianapolis which served the Greek community. As a well-known leader in the Greek world, Bill soon joined the fund-raising firm of Development Dynamics Group in St. Louis. At DDG, he provided sage fundraising counsel to a long list of fraternity and sorority clients and his unique style of writing fund raising letters raised millions of dollars for his clients, mentoring countless development professionals along the way.

Jenkins at his desk at the Executive Offices

Bill left DDG for the opportunity to serve his alma mater as the assistant vice president and director of development at Bowling Green State University. He enjoyed the chance to serve Bowling Green but Phi Tau came calling and he returned to Oxford in 1991 to become executive director of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation, the role that would be the capstone to his career. Bill greatly expanded the role of the Foundation, assuming responsibility for the Laurel and expanding the professional staff. He engaged heavily with the Fraternity’s new national philanthropy, now known as SeriousFun Children’s Network. He volunteered as a cabin counselor at SeriousFun camps and found it to be a life-changing experience, often tearing up as he described the interactions with the children he met at camp. Prior to his retirement in 2006, Bill assumed the role of Centennial Coordinator, taking on responsibility for the Centennial Garden fund raising and construction.

Always a leader in the interfraternity movement, Bill was appointed to fill the unexpired term on board of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) held by Walter G. “Sonny” Strange, Auburn ’70 who died in 1992. Bill was a distinguished member of the NIC board for a decade and was elected president, becoming the only Phi Tau since Roland Maxwell to hold that distinguished office. In 2005, he joined Roland Maxwell, Ewing Boles and Jack Anson to become the fourth Phi Tau to be awarded the NIC’s Gold Medal, its highest award. The NIC’s Foundation Section, now known as the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence (FFE) annually awards the William D. Jenkins Outstanding Foundation Professional Award in Bill’s honor.

Jenkins (Center, Beige Coat) with several former Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices Staff Members.

In Phi Kappa Tau, Bill received every significant alumnus award given, including the Borradaile Alumnus Award and the Palm Award. He was among the inaugural class inducted into the Fraternity’s Hall of Fame at the Fraternity’s Centennial celebration in 2006 which he helped to orchestrate in grand style, memorably narrating a series of historical videos at the final banquet. The Fraternity’s award for Interfraternal Excellence is named for him. He is a recipient of the Jack L. Anson Award from the Association of Fraternity Advisors and the Distinguished Service Award from the Fraternity Executives Association. Numerous other Greek organizations have recognized Bill for his service to the interfraternity movement.

And while fraternity took up much of Bill’s life, he was far from one-dimensional. He was a passionate, life-long baseball fan. He particularly loved the St. Louis Cardinals and enjoyed his time in St. Louis where he was able to attend games. He collected baseballs, visited major league ballparks and vacationed around spring training when he could. His son Doug said that during Bill’s final days, he knew he was feeling a little better when he began to complain about the Cincinnati Reds payroll.

Jenkins volunteering at Camp Boggy Creek, a SeriousFun Children’s Network Camp

He was a devoted family man as well. He was married twice, his first marriage ending in divorce but producing his loving sons Chuck and Doug who was his primary caregiver in his last years. He met his second wife Carmalieta, a Delta Gamma executive, at ceremonies recognizing the bicentennial of the American College Fraternity at Williamsburg in December 1976. Bill and Carmalieta were married in December 1982 and were inseparable for the remainder of Carmalieta’s life. Bill was her devoted caregiver as her health declined and was her constant companion, even when she was forced to move into a care facility.

Bill devoted much his community leadership to the Oxford Kiwanis Club, which he first joined in 1964 and served as its president in 1971. He rejoined the club on his return to Oxford in 1991 and faithfully attended meetings and activities as long as his health permitted. He also became known in his retirement years as Santa, even growing his own white beard to add to the authenticity. He appeared throughout the Oxford and Hamilton communities, delighting children and adults. He became a fixture at the annual Phi Tau Christmas office party.

Bill always had an creative and artistic flair which was reflected in his use of language, attention to detail, his distinctive handwriting and lower-case signature and his eye for graphic design. In retirement, he turned his attention to drawing and painting, often making gifts of his artwork and offering them charity auctions and sales.

To his legions of friends, Bill will be remembered for his meticulous and natty appearance, his warmth, his humanity, his good stories, thoughtful notes and his bad jokes.

And perhaps the most lasting legacy to Bill in Phi Kappa Tau will be our cherished Candlelight Ceremony. Penned by Bill for the closing banquet of the 1975 National Convention, Honored Founder Taylor Borradaile’s last Convention, the ceremony has been conducted hundreds of times as a moving capstone to national and chapter events. Bill loved to tailor the ceremony to each event where he conducted it but finally agreed on a standard version which has been included as one of the Fraternity’s public Rituals. A fitting end to each Candlelight Ceremony and to Bill’s memory are the words from the Brotherhood Song “We’ll meet again in heaven, sure, in the name of Phi Kappa Tau.”

Phi Kappa Tau Brotherhood Assessment FAQ

If you are reading this you are likely an undergraduate member or a Phi Kappa Tau volunteer. We hope this list of frequently asked questions will help you to better understand the Phi Kappa Tau Brotherhood Assessment.

What is the purpose of the Survey? 

• In order to get a more accurate picture of the strengths and areas of improvement for Ph Kappa Tau, we will be partnering with Dyad Strategies to administer a simple survey to our entire undergraduate membership. The purpose of which is to provide better resources for groups long term, backed by the data from our membership itself.  

Who gets to take the survey?  

• All undergraduates, including new members. The assessment will be sent to each member INDIVIDUALLY via email, to the email address listed in Phi Kappa Tau Portal. The survey link is unique for each person and will not work if it’s forwarded to other people.   

How long will it take?  

• The entire survey will take 25 – 30 minutes to complete.  

What’s the deadline? 

• Ideally the survey is completed at the first chapter meeting you hold after receiving the survey via email. Chapters will have until November 5th, 2024 to complete the survey in a timely manner.

Does everyone have to take it?  

• We hope everyone will. Chapter presidents will receive weekly reports showing exactly who – and who hasn’t – completed the survey. To get statistically significant results, each chapter needs to have 60% of their members complete the survey. 

Are the results confidential? 

• Results are confidential and intended for internal use, individual results will not be made public nor will your chapter’s leadership have access to your response.  

Members who don’t receive the survey email 

• If you do not receive the survey via email it is likely due to a minor database error, please have your chapter president reach out to their Success Manager to resolve the issue. 

Help! We have problems!  

• Please refer to your Chapter Consultant for diagnosing email issues, participation issues, general concerns, etc. 

What will the weekly participation reports look like?  

• The chapter president will get a weekly participation report. It will be a simple excel sheet that lists overall participation statistics for your chapter, plus a detailed report of each member and his survey status. For instance, you’ll be able to see that 72% of the chapter started the survey and 67% completed the survey.  

• Then, for an individual member, you can see if he received the email, opened the email, started the survey, or completed the survey. You won’t be able to see any survey answers, just the completion status.  

• This is how you’ll be able to offer incentives to individuals who complete the survey quickly and follow up with members who haven’t started it yet 

What if people don’t answer seriously? Will that affect our chapter results?  

• Possibly. This survey is for the benefit of chapter leaders, to provide direct feedback from your members. If students give dishonest or glib answers, that will affect your results. The survey tabulation software has some built-in controls for “fake data,” so one or two goofballs won’t skew your results. The best way to prevent this is to build excitement for the survey, offer incentives, and make it a priority for the fall term. 

What if we don’t agree with what the report says?  

• The Brotherhood Assessment will convey feedback directly from your members. It’s possible that what your members say is different from your own thoughts and assumptions. That’s OK. The chapter report is intended as a starting point for information and conversation about the culture of your chapter.  

Will the results be used for any disciplinary action against a chapter?  

• No. The questions are about the attitudes and experiences of your members. There aren’t any questions about specific incidents or events. 

The Winners Are...

 See below for a list of winners for this year’s Awards of Distinction. For a PDF version of this list please click here.

PHI KAPPA TAU AWARDS OF DISTINCTION 

(ANNOUNCED JULY 2024 FOR THE 2023 CALENDAR YEAR) 

⭐⭐⭐ 

CHAPTER  AWARDS 

Roland Maxwell Outstanding Chapter | Top Chapter 

Beta Beta, Louisville  

Founders Four Chapters | Top Four Chapters 

Phi, Bethany 

Chi, North Carolina State 

Alpha Kappa, Washington State 

Beta Beta, Louisville  

Harold E. Angelo Award | Most Improved Chapter 

Alpha Kappa, Washington State 

Jack Jareo Award | Outstanding Newsletter 

Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Richard Massock Award | Best Chapter Alumni Event  

Phi, Bethany 

Gamma Alpha, Michigan Tech  

Best New Associate Class | Best New Associate Class 

Epsilon Nu, Clemson   

Ross E. Roeder Award | Best BOG 

Kappa, Kentucky 

Academic Excellence | Chapter GPA above 3.0 or above AMA 

Alpha, Miami 

Delta, Centre 

Epsilon, Mount Union 

Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Phi, Bethany 

Alpha Gamma, Delaware 

Alpha Kappa, Washington State 

Alpha Rho, Georgia Tech 

Alpha Tau, Cornell 

Alpha Chi, Mississippi State 

Alpha Omega, Baldwin Wallace 

Beta Beta, Louisville 

Beta Theta, Kansas 

Beta Omicron, Maryland 

Gamma Alpha, Michigan Tech 

Gamma Mu, Bradley 

Delta Kappa, Tennesse 

Zeta Alpha, Belmont 

Zeta Zeta, Illinois-Springfield 

Zeta Xi, South Carolina 

Zeta Omicron, Arizona State 

Zeta Pi, Boston  

George V. Voinovich Excellence in Community Service Award | Most Community Service Hours  

Chi, North Carolina State 

Community Service Scroll | Chapters that average 20 service hours per member 

Chi, North Carolina State 

Epsilon, Mount Union 

Delta Lambda, Muskingum 

Zeta Epsilon, Lynchburg  

Frederick R. Fletemeyer Prize | Outstanding Associate Chapter Award 

Epsilon Nu, Clemson  

Monoroe Moosnick Scholarship Trophy | Top Chapter GPA 

Alpha Tau, Cornell 

Order of the Star | Borradaile Challenge Rating 

Alpha, Miami 

Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Alpha Rho, Georgia Tech 

Beta Beta, Lousiville 

Delta Lambda, Mukingum 

Delta Nu, Wright State 

Delta Rho, Eastern Kentucky 

Zeta Alpha, Belmont 

Zeta Omicron, Arizona State  

Recruitment Pacesetter Award 

Beta, Ohio 

Alpha Gamma, Michigan Tech 

Alpha Tau, Cornell 

Beta Beta, Louisville 

Beta Chi, Southern Illinois 

Beta Omega, Chico 

Beta Xi, Georgia 

Delta Kappa, Tennesse 

Delta Lambda, Muskingum 

Epsilon Nu, Clemson 

Epsilon Sigma, Chapman 

Gamma Beta, Cincinatti 

Omicron, Penn State 

Zeta Alpha, Belmont 

Zeta Xi, South Carolina  

Paul Newman Award | Highest Dollar amount donated to SeriousFun 

Beta Beta, Louisville  

Norm W. Brown Philanthropy Scroll | Donated more than $2000 charity  

Delta, Centre 

Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan 

Phi, Bethany 

Chi, NC State 

Alpha Gamma, Delaware 

Alpha Rho, Georgia Tech 

Alpha Chi, Mississippi State 

Alpha Omega, Baldwin Wallace 

Beta Beta, Louisville 

Beta Gamma, Ole Miss 

Beta Chi, Southern Illinois 

Gamma Xi, East Central 

Sonny Strange Recruitment Award | Top Recruitment/Retention Award 

Delta Kappa, Tennessee 

Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award (Chapter) | Chapter DEIA Award 

Lambda, Purdue University  

⭐⭐⭐ 

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS 

Taylor A. Borradaile Undergraduate Memorial Award | Top Undergraduate 

Tanner Schultz, Louisville  

William Henry Shideler Award | Outstanding Senior 

Max Draus, Nebraska Wesleyan  

Dwight I. Douglass President’s Award | Top Chapter President 

Keegan Tingle, Louisville (Beta Beta)  

Best New Associate

Tavyn Likosky, Baldwin Wallace (Alpha Omega)  

Jack Anson Award | Outstanding Interfraternal service to their community 

Zachary Schubert, Kansas (Beta Theta) 

Clinton D. Boyd VPAR Award | Best VPAR 

Nolan Eatherton, Nebraska Wesleyan (Upsilon)  

Dr. Edgar Ewing Brandon Award | Outstanding Advisor 

Jeff Moser, Tennesse (Delta Kappa)  

Greg Hollen Associate Chapter President Award | Best Associate Chapter President 

Vincent De Luca, East Carolina (Gamma Eta) 

Outstanding Associate Chapter Advisor Award | Outstanding Associate Chapter Advisor 

Tom Gooden, Beta Theta (Kansas) 

Outstanding Greek Advisor Award | Outstanding Greek Advisor 

Carter Lukes, West Virginia University 

Phi Award

Scott Conroe, Alpha Tau (Cornell)

Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award (Individual) | Individual DEIA Award 

Matt Olson, North Texas (Zeta Theta) 

Orlando Selected for Convention 2025

The location for the 66th National Convention of Phi Kappa Tau has been etched in stone, and it reads... 

Orlando, Florida!  

Wednesday July 23rd—Sunday, July 27th, Phi Taus of all ages will descend upon Embassy Suites by Hilton Orlando, Lake Buena Vista South and commence the most historic celebration of brotherhood this fraternity has ever known. This will culminate in our Brotherhood Banquet taking place on Saturday, July 26th along with a full day of brotherhood activities.

Convention registration, participation packages, and hotel reservations will be available starting September 1st. Attendees that book with the Convention hotel will have their registration discounted. Your stay at the Convention hotel will include free made-to-order breakfast (2 per room) and a complimentary evening reception each day.

In one year, we will Turn the Tide of brotherhood—unifying our organization with the common goal of advancing the Phi Kappa Tau mission to young men all over the country! 

More information on the 2025 Convention is still to come, including details on a theme park trip and several affinity reunions. If you want to be the first to know more information and even receive an early bird discount, click here.

Remembering a Dynamic Leader

The Fraternity and Foundation are saddened to report the death of David A. Ruckman, Ohio State ‘62, a Distinguished Trustee and former chairman of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation Board of Trustees, following his courageous 20-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Dave is remembered for his selfless philanthropy and for his dynamic leadership at the start of Phi Kappa Tau’s second century. 

Initiated into Gamma Chapter in April 1962, Dave was later elected chapter president and continued his support of his chapter and fraternity for more than six decades, retiring from his final term on the Foundation board in April. He was a Trustee of the Foundation for most of last two decades and served as chairman from 2007 until 2014. His philanthropy benefited the national organization and his local chapter. His gifts of time and treasure were recognized with Phi Kappa Tau’s highest honor, the Palm Award in 2014. 

Dave had a distinguished career at Merrill Lynch and mentored countless young members of that firm. As District Director, he supervised over 1000 Merrill Lynch professionals. 

His leadership and philanthropy benefitted his home city of Cleveland where he served on the board of directors of the renowned Cleveland Orchestra and was a major supporter of the Salvation Army. 

He leaves behind his loving wife of 60 years, Marilyn, two daughters, Samantha and Nicole, and four grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Danielle in 2016. 

While we mourn Dave’s entry into Chapter Eternal, we also celebrate the life of a Phi Tau who leaves behind a legacy of remarkable philanthropy and leadership. We are brothers now and ever… 

A complete obituary may be found here.