Brandon Peterson: 20 Under 40

Brandon Peterson, Nebraska Wesleyan ’12, has been listed in the Freemont Tribune as a “20 Under 40,” a series on young professionals all under 40.

Peterson comes from a family of entrepreneurs, all of whom are familiar with the pitfalls of running a business. Brandon himself has experienced this failure. “But that’s one of the things about entrepreneurship: you have to go in with just a boundless amount of optimism that this is going to work,” he told the Tribune, “And if or when it doesn’t work, then you have to go, ‘Well, we tried. What did we learn?’ and move on.”

Peterson originally attended Nebraska Wesleyan to become a dentist. He enjoyed it, but during his chemistry class, the professor was talking about the many requirements to go to dental school and she said: “You’ve got to love this.”

“And I sat there, and it just hit me, and I go, ‘I don’t love this. I don’t love this at all,’” Peterson said. “And I got up right in the middle of her talking and I walked out and went straight to the register’s office, and I switched my major. And that was the best decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.”

He switched his major to business administration and psychology. Always active in high school, the same trend continued into college. Peterson joined Phi Tau as a founder of Upsilon. “I was never going to be a fraternity guy, I had no desire because of the stereotypes,” he said, “But when I was able to start it and create the foundation, then it was a little bit different. I could take something, and I could create a new perception on it.”

In 2012, Peterson was awarded the John Cosgrove Spirit and Leadership Award.

Peterson traveled abroad to New Zealand for a semester and when he returned he interned at his mother’s Planet Fitness gyms to get a taste of running a business. He would clean, answer emails, and do other managerial tasks. He would end up increasing profits for the location by 20% in five months. “It’s discipline and working hard and understanding that long-term goals are a thing you’ve got to work for,” he said, “Don’t complain, just do.”

In 2014 when he graduated he became a regional director for Anytime Fitness. He was successful but wanted to run something of his own. In 2016, a friend from college came to him with an idea.

Together, they created the nonprofit SELFiD, which stands for “Self Image Defined.” The friend, who suffered from an eating disorder herself, helps young girls with their mental, physical, and emotional health and helps them find happiness in their lives.

“From that moment, we created SELFiD at my kitchen table, and in my basement, we just brainstormed,” Peterson said. “And from there, we have a board of directors, we have people that have come across the state and across the United States that have come to support the event, we’ve had donations. It’s been phenomenal.”

“That was my first experience ever starting a business,” Peterson said. “And I’m so glad it was a nonprofit, I’m so glad that people supported it and it was just so many learning experiences that came from that.”

Since then he has created five more companies and sold one of them. “I learned that it’s usually harder than you expected it to be,” he said. “The payoff doesn’t come when you think it’s going to come. It’s usually farther out and it usually costs more.” But one of his most important pieces of advice is be first to market, especially with technology. “I don’t care what kind of (intellectual property) you’ve got, you’ve got to be first-to-market,” he said. “Because if somebody else has done it first and before you, you’re pretty much out of the running unless you have this crazy quality that’s going to be different.”

In early 2017, Peterson realized running startups wasn’t going to pay the bills. He joined DPA, Del Paterson and Associates. “I came in and I said, ‘You offer a great service, you became a national company by not quite all of the innovative marketing techniques. Let me come in and just be more of a kind of a consultant-style employee to help revamp this side of things,’” Brandon Peterson said. “He said, ‘OK, let’s give it a shot.’”

At DPA, Peterson brought in new digital marketing and enhanced marketing efforts, growing the team from 20 employees to 35 in a few years. Today, the company is launching their marketing agency, DPA Impact. They plan to expand to a new building with 100 employees by 2021.

Peterson is someone who can’t sit still for very long and is always planning the next project. “If you shoot for something better than what you’re doing right now, you’re going to hit something,” Peterson said. “Something good is going to come out of it, so why not go for it?”

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Kent State Alumnus Finds Missing Woman

Jeremey Humphrey, Kent State ’98, successfully found a woman who had been missing in the Idaho wilderness for days.

 Humphrey is an ultrarunner, an intense form of long-distance running where races must be longer than a marathon’s 26.2 miles. Often these ultramarathons – or “ultras” are closer to the 50-mile or 100-mile mark, although many exceed it like the Badwater Ultra across California’s Badwater desert basin, a 135-mile race that begins at 279-feet below sea level and rises to 8360-feet on Mount Whitney or the Grand to Grand Ultra, 147-miles along the rim of the Grand Canyon. The races held internationally are often equally grueling, like the Spartahlon, a 153-mile, 3-day race across Greece, the Marathon des Sables, a 6-day, 154-mile trek across the sand tunes of southern Morocco, or the 142.6-mile Jungle Ultra through the Amazon in Peru. Most ultras occur through extreme conditions or altitudes.

 A regular competitor in these races, Humphrey has not been training as he usually would due to Covid-19 cancellations. Instead, he’s been focusing on challenging himself by running as far as he can for fun. “I’m usually training for 100-mile fitness,” he told Runner’s World, “With everything canceled, I’m out of my regimen and just running big stuff, lots of adventure runs. I haven’t run less than six hours in a long time.”

 It was in early July Humphrey found a new incentive to run when he learned that a woman and her dog had disappeared.

 The woman had been missing for several days before an investigation started because she hadn’t told many people where she was going or for how long. Humphrey was familiar with the area she was last known to be in after years of running, hiking, and camping nearby.

 “I just had this strange, maybe spiritual, feeling from the moment I heard about it that I could see the entire thing and how it would play out if I went out,” he said. “I’ve been in the mountains my whole life and I’ve helped search and rescue before. I lost my dad and his twin brother when they fell climbing in Denali. The mountains have given a lot to me and taken a lot from me and some energy told me I had to do this.”

 A search and rescue team had already begun working in a northern section of the area, so Humphrey decide to start at the southern end, relying heavily on the detail that she liked to run by lakes. He packed his bag with provisions for 40-miles and set off running.

 Humphrey spent all day running near lakes and calling her name. At mile 20 he knew soon it would be time to turn around, but he decided to press on for a little longer. Finally, after ten hours of running, he heard a woman’s voice call back.

 “I’m calling out, and it shocked me, I heard a female voice call back though I couldn’t see her,” he said. “I could sense the direction, so I cross this drainage, a little dip in the topography. I’m jumping over rocks and logs, and I see someone, and again when I’m about 300 yards away, that’s when I see her dog, so that’s a good sign. My adrenaline is up as I’m bounding down this hill, full sprint until I finally reach her.”

 As instinct predicted, he did find the woman near a lake. She had not eaten in four days and was drinking the murky lake water to survive. Humphrey dumped his pack and gave her and her dog what was left of his food and electrolyte supplies. He called the rescue crew, and the woman and dog were airlifted out of the forest. Humphrey returned to the trail head where she had parked her car and drove it to the local fire department.

 Besides sustaining some minor injuries, the woman is otherwise okay. She is recovering well, and she and Humphrey have spoken since. “She’s super tough,” he said. “She just wanted to eat pizza and ice cream.”

 Humphrey will continue to run before winter storms come through the area. “Normally, running is super selfish and fueled by the desire to be a champion,” Humphrey said. “All these years of doing that, I feel like I had a skill set that made it possible to help someone else, and that feels good. It feels not so selfish.”

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Fall Philanthropy and CrowdChange

Fall Philanthropy and CrowdChange

We are excited to share the Fall 2020 launch of our partnership with CrowdChange with you! In case you are not familiar, we have partnered with CrowdChange to help you host virtual events and online fundraisers so that you can continue to raise money for your philanthropies in the midst of COVID-19. This online fundraising platform offers tons of features to help you take your philanthropy events to the next level at no cost to your chapter!
 
Chapters have been EXTREMELY successful with CrowdChange, raising an average of 235% of what they raised the previous year for similar or identical events not on CrowdChange. 
 
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU: Register for ONE of the Online Training Sessions below. Feel free to pick the date that works best for you, but make sure you register for one of them:

• Option 1: Tuesday September 15th, 8:30 - 9:30 pm ET - Register Here

• Option 2: Sunday September 20th, 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET - Register Here

• Option 3: Wednesday September 23rd, 7:00 - 8:00 pm ET - Register Here

 
This top-rated session is called 7 Keys to Crushing your Fundraising Goal. It will give you actionable tips on how to scale your philanthropy event and will offer guidance on fundraising virtually. If you'd like to get a head start, simply go to: http://phikappatau.crowdchange.co and click the "Start a Fundraiser" button.

Phi Tau Launches Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force

In light of the Black Lives Matter movement Phi Tau has been looking internally at our own practices and policies to examine our own shortcomings in the way of racial bias.

 The first ever Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (or DEI) Taskforce held its inaugural meeting last Tuesday.

 So far the committee is comprised of six members:

• Brandon Lewis, Middle Tennessee State ‘15, Associate Director of Chapter Services and a staff representative

• Steve Issakhanian, Cal Poly Pomona ’19, an undergraduate representative and member of Delta Tau’s Maxwell-winning presenters

• Dexter Horne, Centre ’13, an alumnus representative and former Shideler Award winner

• Ricky Bailey, Florida State ’03, a representative from the National Council

• Tim Popma, Central Michigan ’05, a representative from the education committee and Dean of Building Men of Character Retreats

• Scott Brown, Tennessee ’88, representing the governance board

 There are two main areas of focus: policy & communication and education & programming. Policy & communication seeks to examine our current policies and procedures and identify areas for change. The National Council has asked that the two standing governance committees review our governing documents and policies and determine if they are antithetical to supporting anti-racist education.

 Education & programming will identify where there are holes in our educational programs, what we need to start or stop doing, or where we can improve. Our educational materials are also being reviewed.

 The immediate goals of the committee are to develop a proposal of recommendations for the National Council to review this fall and to open lines of communication between members, staff, and volunteers. Long term goals include creation of a long term standing committee with a chairperson and a standing body to consult on topics related to DEI.

 Immediately, the committee is asking members to complete this survey for recommendations to the committee. It is a place to share suggestions and ideas for ways Phi Tau can improve.

 The committee is formed around the democratic nature of our organization and will provide feedback and make changes as necessary. CEO Tim Hudson, Truman State ’97, opened the meeting by ensuring staff’s commitment to support the committee’s efforts and saying, “I know the work you will be doing will be challenging and rewarding. This is a tough topic but it’s one that needs to be addressed. It’s important to the future of Phi Kappa Tau and where we want to go as an organization.”

 We look forward to hearing the recommendations from the committee and addressing ways Phi Tau can improve. Stay tuned for more updates from the DEI task force.

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Will Steitz Wins Borradaile Undergraduate Award

Will Steitz, North Carolina State ’19, has been awarded the Borradaile Undergraduate Award. The award is presented to an undergraduate member who has contributed to the chapter’s overall success, led by example, and demonstrated a true understanding of brotherhood.  

Will was initiated in spring of 2019 at the re-chartering of Chi chapter. He never had any intention to join a fraternity in college, but the brotherhood among Chi colony grew on him and from the moment he associated, he was driven to make an impact on the newly reestablished chapter and the North Carolina State community. After initiating, he ran for Vice President of Community Service and was elected. He proceeded – as the nomination from a chapter brother submitted said – to “revolutionize” the role.  

 “One of the most remarkable aspects of Will serving as Philanthropy Chair was the way he approached it. He saw his position as a way to encourage everyone in the chapter to live by the creed and its values. He constantly preached that the work we do through community service was a way to be a man of character and to bare our Mark of Distinction,” the nomination read. He established several reoccurring philanthropy events such as the Chi sponsored highway, percentage nights at restaurants, and a large-scale community-based event the chapter hosted spring 2020. To Will, philanthropy was not a checklist item but something necessary for the character of the group. His enthusiasm turned the work into a brotherhood experience where they bonded through raising money and rallying for causes that mattered to them.  

Will attended every single philanthropy event Chi hosted and nearly every other service event on campus. “He motivated this chapter to become more than just a social organization, but a force for good on the campus of North Carolina State and the surrounding community.” 

Currently Chapter President, Will’s dedication to the chapter has only increased and he shows no signs of slowing down. As the chapter is still new on campus, they have run into on-campus housing problems. Unfortunately, North Carolina State will be demolishing the house the chapter currently lives in. Will has worked tirelessly with the Board of Governors, the Housing Corporation, the Fraternity and Sorority Life office, and the Resident Council to find solutions. While this is an ongoing and uphill battle, the future looks optimistic thanks to his hard work.  

Will has also prioritized improving events the chapter hosts, including philanthropy events, social events, and alumni events. “Will’s leadership is really encouraging the growth of our chapter and is igniting a spark in everyone to strive to live by our values.” When a chapter brother suffered a personal emergency, Will went out of his way to raise $350 from friends, family, and alumni to support the brother – without disclosing any private details. This money helped pay for gas, food, and other expenses throughout a hard time, a huge relief for a friend he had not known very long and a demonstration of his commitment to Phi Tau values.  

Will, who will be a senior this fall, has been active in Phi Tau National Programs such as Presidents Academy, Regional Conferences, and Building Men of Character Retreats. He is a Business major with a concentration in Supply Chain Management. An excellent student, he has earned Dean’s List every semester. This summer he is interning with John Deere in Wisconsin. Congratulations, Will, and Go Far! 

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John Green Enters Chapter Eternal

John Green at the 63rd National Convention in Cleveland (2018)

By Charlie Ball, Miami ‘82

28 July 2020: Oxford, Ohio - John M. Green, Nebraska Wesleyan ’60, a member of the Phi Kappa Tau Hall of Fame, entered chapter eternal on July 26, 2020 from injuries sustained in a fall. During his sixty years of membership in Phi Kappa Tau, John Green became one its most outstanding leaders and held nearly every important volunteer and staff leadership role in the fraternity. “Our fraternity has truly lost one of our icons. He will be missed but long remembered” said National President Bill Brasch, Louisville ‘67

John in his office at Phi Tau (1990s)

Born February 10, 1942 in McCook, Nebraska, John was an outstanding student leader at Wauneta High School before entering Nebraska Wesleyan University in the fall of 1959, where he pledged the Upsilon Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau along with Tom Cunningham, Nebraska Wesleyan ‘60. They both would go on to significantly impact the Fraternity throughout the rest of their lives. 

After a stint in the Navy, which began a long and distinguished career in the U. S. Navy Reserve, it was Tom Cunningham who suggested that John get involved in the national fraternity. He famously attended the 1966 National Convention at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island on his honeymoon with his new bride, Joan, a graduate of Drake University where she had been president of her Delta Gamma chapter. By 1968, John was a Domain Director and in 1970, he was elected to the National Council. In 1979, John was elected Vice President to National President Tom Cunningham, the first and only time in our history where members of the same pledge class served together as President and Vice President. John was installed as president at the Diamond Jubilee Convention in 1981, completing fifteen years on the National Council in 1985. During his time on the council, the fraternity went from some of the most challenging times in our history to the completion of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation’s record-setting capital campaign, which had been conceived by John and a small group of fraternity leaders.

John at Boggy Creek, a SeriousFun Camp in FL

When the Fraternity Executive Director job came open in 1987, John became a candidate and when offered the job, decided to leave a long career in banking and the presidency of his family bank in Nebraska and move his family to Oxford, Ohio. He often said that the “job seeks the man” and when asked to take on a challenge he considered it. John took on Phi Tau’s top staff position with gusto and is particularly remembered for the innovative educational programs developed during that time including a national Leadership Academy, begun in 1988 and TEAM Discovery weekends. He was also instrumental in establishing the SeriousFun Childrens Network (a group of camps for seriously ill children) as Phi Kappa Tau’s national philanthropy. John showed real leadership not only in Phi Tau but among our peer Greek organizations as an outspoken opponent of hazing and substance abuse and was at the forefront of developing the risk management policies and insurance programs that have been critical to the Greek world.

John left the fraternity staff for the opportunity to work with one of his other life-long passions, golf, in 1998. He had become an investor in the start-up Indian Ridge golf course in Oxford and took on a new challenge of running the course. But when the opportunity came to return to the staff of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation as executive director in 2001, he accepted the challenge and threw himself all in, providing staff leadership to a second successful capital campaign for the Foundation. Retiring for good from the staff in 2007, he remained active on the Foundation board, serving several terms through 2018.

John at the John M. Green Classic in 2019. National Councilor Bob Ragsdale, Georgia ‘66, shared: “After Conclave, the golf outing was highlighted by Brother Green sinking a 40 eagle putt on the 9th hole. Chapter Eternal will welcome him and hand him a golf club.”

Left to right: John’s son, Matt Green, Bob Ragsdale, Georgia ‘66, Rob Reese, Kent State ‘87, John, and Tim Hudson, Truman State ‘97

For more than half a century, John Green served in a leadership role in Phi Kappa Tau. He made countless friends and mentored an incalculable number of young men along the way who all consider themselves better for having known John. “A dear friend and mentor, John shaped the lives of so many young men. Our Fraternity, and indeed our world, is better for the impact he made” said Foundation Chairman, Wes Fugate, Centre ‘99.

And for all of his passion for Phi Kappa Tau, John was far from one-dimensional. He was a devoted family man, leaving his wife Joan, his son Matt and daughter Lee Anne and their families to carry on his legacy. And along with his family and his fraternity, he loved his community. He was a former president of the Oxford Rotary Club and was its Rotarian of the Year and he headed the boards of Maple Knolls of Cincinnati and the Knolls of Oxford retirement community where John and Joan made their home in recent years and hosted several Phi Tau alumni events.

Receiving the NIC Silver Medal at Conclave (2019), pictured with Jud Horras, NIC President & CEO

He was recognized for his contributions to Phi Tau with the Palm Award and as an inaugural member of the Hall of Fame, among many others. The John M. Green Golf Classic to raise funds for SeriousFun Children’s Network was begun in his honor in 2013. He was recognized for his contributions to the interfraternal community with the North American Interfraternity Conference Silver Medal in 2019, the first Phi Tau to receive this award.  “Beyond all of his many accomplishments, John stood at the ready to be a sounding board of immense wisdom, measured and fair in delivering necessary criticism, and always made the effort to be uplifting.” says Phi Kappa Tau CEO, Tim Hudson, Truman State ‘97.  “His steady guiding voice and friendship will be deeply missed.”

John practicing with the Phi Tau Warblers (2018)

While John leaves a legacy of family, business, military, and community achievement, he will be remembered for his boundless energy, his good humor, his unwavering belief in the basic goodness of people and for living by his often-repeated creed: “Do the right thing, because it’s the right thing to do.”

 John’s obituary can be read here. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to one of his preferred organizations - Hospice of Cincinnati, the McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital of Oxford, or the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation. Gifts can be made to the John M. Green Memorial Scholarship Fund here.

Ray Bichimer, Ohio State ‘53, John, Jack Anson, Colgate ‘47, and John Meyerhoff, Colgate ‘61, as John presented the Clinton D. Boyd Award for Interfraternal Excellence (renamed the William D. Jenkins Interfraternity Excellence Award) to Anson

Our Most Outstanding Chapter, Delta Tau!

 The winner of the 2020 Roland Maxwell Trophy for an Outstanding Chapter is Delta Tau at Cal Poly-Pomona!

Last Tuesday, four members of the chapter presented to a panel of judges for the award – Konstantinos Lembesis, Cal Poly-Pomona ’18 (President 2019), Antoine Boado, Cal Poly-Pomona ‘18 (Vice President 2019), Joshua Hernandez, Cal Poly-Pomona ‘18 (Vice President of Alumni Relations 2019), and Steve Issakhanian, Cal Poly-Pomona ‘19 (Secretary 2019, President 2020)

“Here at the Delta Tau chapter, we build men into leaders who make a positive impact to those around them,” they said.

 Delta Tau begins building a strong chapter with recruitment. “We look for outstanding individuals and nothing less,” they said in their Maxwell presentation. By only recruiting men who demonstrate a strong desire to become men of exemplary character, the chapter is built entirely of men committed to the values of Phi Kappa Tau.

 Delta Tau prides itself on a lifelong commitment to Brotherhood. Within the chapter, they build friendships made to last through big events like trips to the mountains or beach, as well as events closer to campus like brotherhood events and little gestures, like making sure to celebrate everyone’s birthday. They host all-chapter retreats as well, which provide a rare opportunity for brothers to come together free of distraction and create a stronger bond.

 This lifelong commitment to brotherhood goes hand in hand with a strong alumni outreach program. Alumni are invited to many events throughout the year, especially the annual Founders Day celebration. When the chapter celebrated its 62nd anniversary this past year, over 150 alumni and their families were in attendance, many of whom gave donations to the scholarship fund.

 The undergraduate brothers foster personal relationships with alumni by texting or calling them individually and they maintain an active social media presence to keep all members informed. The biannual newsletter, The Kellogg Spirit, covers everything from chapter events, to trips, to weddings, to promotions.

 At Cal Poly-Pomona, Delta Tau is the most diverse fraternity on campus both in ethnic backgrounds and fields of study. Every brother’s unique identity provides an opportunity for the brothers to learn and grow, and the variety of majors provides a chance for the chapter to help each other out with schoolwork. “What makes our Fraternity experience great beyond the Borradaile Challenge is our amazing sense of brotherhood, our respected chapter house, and our diversity,” they said. Unusual for a Fraternity house, the Delta Tau chapter house is completely paid off, which allows rent to be affordable and for the housing corporation to work on repairs and improvements every year.

The chapter places an emphasis on identifying personal strengths and focusing on individual growth and improvement. They encourage brothers to pursue their goals and challenge them to achieve bigger and better things. Part of this is encouraging brothers to take on leadership roles with the Executive Board and across campus. The chapter represents 15 different clubs and organizations at Cal Poly-Pomona. One of the most prominent areas of which is IFC, where Delta Tau holds six of the 14 leadership positions. By graduation of this year, 15% of brothers had professional internships and 80% had jobs secured. “Ethical leaderships begins in our board and stems out to our campus involvement and careers,” they said.

Delta Tau takes their ethical leadership seriously. In the past year, four brothers were full-time staffers at The Painted Turtle, the local SeriousFun camp, in addition to the chapter’s volunteers every summer. Their “Red and Gold Week” event raised over $6,000 for SeriousFun camps, a five-day event with activities to raise money like a car wash, flag football, and table mural paintings.

They also helped five Cal Poly-Pomona Sororities raise over $5,000 for their own philanthropic partnerships, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Girl Scouts of America.

“The learning never stops in our chapter, as we adapt and overcome any failures we experience,” Delta Tau concluded in their Maxwell presentation. Congratulations to this Most Outstanding chapter on their first Maxwell win! Go Far!

And the Winner Is...

Thank you to all of our brothers who attended the first ever virtual Brotherhood Banquet last night! While we would have normally gathered together at Convention this year, we enjoyed celebrating fellowship, brotherhood, and Fraternity separate, but together! 

Watch the full banquet here:   

We are extremely proud of all the hard work of our award winners and their demonstrated commitment to the ideals and values of Phi Kappa Tau. The following chapters or individuals received awards based on leadership, scholarship, or philanthropy:

The Sonny Strange Recruitment Award –Alpha Lambda, Auburn University

The Outstanding Associate Class Award – Chi chapter, North Carolina State University

Best Associate Member – Jacob Waltermeyer, South Carolina ‘19

Ross E. Roeder Outstanding Board of Governors Award – Beta Chi, University of Southern Illinois

The Jareo Award for Outstanding Chapter-Produced Newsletter – Upsilon at Nebraska Wesleyan University

The Massock Award for most Outstanding Chapter-Hosted Event – Chi at North Carolina State University

Clinton D. Boyd VPAR Award – Will Schiltz, Nebraska Wesleyan ’17

George V. Voinovich Community Service Award – Zeta Epsilon, University of Lynchburg

Paul Newman Award – Beta Beta, University of Louisville

The Fletemeyer Award for an Outstanding Colony – Delta Kappa, University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Outstanding Colony Advisor Award – Jeff Rogers, Southern California ’77, advisor to Omega at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Greg Hollen Award for an Outstanding Colony President – Seth Novosel, Southern California ’18

Angelo Award for Most Improved Chapter – Alpha Lambda, Auburn University

Douglass Award for an Outstanding Chapter President - Max Zitek, Nebraska Wesleyan ’16!

Stennis Award for an Outstanding Domain Director – Paul Artis, Illinois Springfield ‘15

Dr. Edgar Ewing Brandon Award for an Outstanding Chapter Advisor - Ralph Cupelli, Truman State ’94

The Jack L. Anson Award for an Undergraduate with Outstanding Fraternal Values – Jacob Severyn, Ohio State ’17!

Outstanding Greek Advisor – Lindsey Denver at Saginaw Valley State

The Moosnick Award for Chapter Scholarship – Alpha Delta, Case Western Reserve

The William H. Shideler Award for Most Outstanding Graduating Senior – Bill Kolpak, Alabama ‘16

Founders Four Chapters - Delta, Centre College, Gamma, Ohio State University, Upsilon, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Delta Tau, Cal Poly-Pomona

Roland Maxwell Outstanding Chapter Trophy – Delta Tau, Cal Poly–Pomona

The following chapters have received an Academic Excellence Scroll by either achieving a 3.0 cumulative GPA or having a cumulative GPA higher than their all men’s campus average:

• Gamma – Ohio State University

• Delta – Centre College

• Epsilon – Mount Union

• Zeta – Illinois

• Theta – Transylvania

• Lambda – Purdue

• Nu – Berkeley

• Xi – Franklin & Marshall

• Omicron – Penn State

• Upsilon – Nebraska Wesleyan

• Psi – Colorado

• Alpha Delta – Case Western

• Alpha Kappa – Washington State

• Alpha Pi – Washington

• Alpha Sigma – Colorado State

• Alpha Tau – Cornell

• Alpha Upsilon – Colgate

• Alpha Phi – Akron

• Alpha Chi – Mississippi State

• Beta Kappa – Oklahoma State

• Beta Mu – Kent State

• Beta Xi – Georgia

• Beta Omicron – Maryland

• Beta Phi – Westminster

• Gamma Alpha – Michigan Tech

• Gamma Mu – Bradley

• Gamma Xi – East Central

• Delta Beta – Evansville

• Delta Gamma – Ole Miss

• Delta Kappa – Tennessee

• Delta Lambda – Muskingum

• Delta Rho – Eastern Kentucky

• Delta Chi – Rochester

• Epsilon Kappa – Rutgers

• Epsilon Chi – Virginia Tech

• Zeta Alpha – Belmont

• Zeta Epsilon – Lynchburg

• Zeta Zeta – Illinois-Springfield

• Zeta Eta – Alabama

• Zeta Kappa – Kenyon

• Zeta Xi – South Carolina

• Zeta Omicron – Arizona State

• Zeta Pi – Boston

The Norman W. Brown Philanthropy Award is presented to all chapters whose donations through the year exceed $2,000. The following chapters been awarded the Norman W. Brown Philanthropy Award:

• Beta – Ohio University

• Gamma – Ohio State

• Delta – Centre

• Epsilon – Mount Union 

• Zeta – Illinois

• Kappa – Kentucky

• Upsilon – Nebraska Wesleyan

• Alpha Eta – Florida

• Alpha Lambda – Auburn

• Alpha Tau – Cornell

• Alpha Upsilon – Colgate

• Alpha Chi – Mississippi State

• Beta Alpha – Texas

• Beta Beta – Louisville

• Beta Epsilon – Southern Mississippi

• Beta Lambda – Indiana

• Beta Mu – Kent State

• Beta Xi – Georgia

• Beta Omicron – Maryland

• Gamma Tau – Old Dominion

• Delta Kappa – Tennessee

• Delta Tau – Cal Poly Pomona

• Epsilon Epsilon – William Paterson

• Epsilon Kappa – Rutgers

• Epsilon Sigma – Chapman

• Zeta Epsilon – Lynchburg

• Zeta Kappa – Kenyon

• Zeta Lambda – Middle Tennessee

• Zeta Xi – South Carolina

• Zeta Omicron – Arizona State

• Zeta Rho – Columbus State

The follow chapters received The Recruitment Pacesetter Award, which recognizes chapters that have done an excellent job with recruitment and retention, no matter their campus size:

• Gamma – Ohio State

• Epsilon – Mount Union

• Chi – North Carolina State

• Alpha Lambda – Auburn

• Alpha Upsilon – Colgate

• Beta Xi – Georgia

• Beta Omega – Cal State-Chico

• Epsilon Sigma – Chapman

Congratulations to our many award winners!

Meet Your 2020 Shideler Winner: Bill Kolpak, Alabama ‘16

A native of Chicago, Bill Kolpak, Alabama ’16, joined Phi Tau shortly after arriving in Tuscaloosa. He became active in the chapter immediately.

Bill and his mom, Parents Week 2016

After seeing an opportunity for improved scholarship programming, he ran for Scholarship Chair. He was elected and implemented an aggressive study hours program to encourage members to plan academic development time into their days, while simultaneously developing a recognition program that encouraged all members who went above and beyond in their academic achievement.

Spring of his freshman year, the chapter’s treasurer resigned. Bill was elected and promptly inherited $20,000 in debt to the chapter’s leasing agency, the University of Alabama, and the Executive Offices. “Through rigorous work, planning and budgeting, I navigated the Fraternity’s financial situation to pay off these debts while still operating successfully and recruiting new members,” Kolpak said. This was a huge time commitment and took hours of meetings and phone calls with advisors, the Executive Council, and staff members of the university and Phi Tau. As a freshman, Bill had difficult conversations with the chapter about where they were spending their money and how they were going to budget going forward. “By the time I had served in the role for a year we had achieved a stable financial situation,” he said.

Bill at 2019 Presidents Academy

Following a full term as treasurer, Bill decided to run for president in an effort to improve the fraternity in more ways than financial stability. He won and during his time prioritized developing a strong relationship between the chapter, the university, and the Executive Offices. He invited guest speakers to the chapter house and attended as many National Programs as he could.

Bill also focused on structural long-term success by establishing a standards board, developing a more permanent alumni relations job, and creating a new annual charity that fostered the relationship between chapter brothers and their families during parents weekend. “As Treasurer, I was focused on rectifying problems of the past to ensure survival in the future,” he said, “As President, I worked to establish a structure and relationships so we could grow and achieve new levels of success in the future.”

Bill was active on campus outside of Phi Tau as well. As a member of the Honors College, he served in an organization called Alabama Action for four years. Alabama Action introduces freshman to the Tuscaloosa community through week-long service projects at local schools. Their work includes painting walls, cleaning up gyms, and developing new learning spaces. His senior year he served as Program Director and coordinated 20 different projects across two schools. Bill also served the Alabama International Relations Club in an administrative role for their Model UN conference, where he helped coordinate a massive conference for high school students. A former Model UN participant himself, it was sentimental to give back to a program he enjoyed so much. Additionally, he served on the Alabama Student Government Association as an Associate Justice his senior year, where he helped the university develop and teach the student code of conduct to all students by attending meetings with administrators and teaching classes on conduct code to freshmen. He was also on a judicial panel for students who violated conduct.

Bill graduated this spring, completing his Bachelors of Science in Accounting with a focus in Accounting with a 3.4 GPA and just began a new job in Atlanta.  

In Bill’s essay, he made sure to thank his chapter brothers for their support. “I have worked with so many outstanding Phi Tau men in my chapter who have pushed me to lead, challenged my ideas and supported me in what I have done,” he said. Congratulations to Bill on this huge accomplishment. Go Far!

 Read a transcript of his speech here:

Good evening. Four years ago, I moved from a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, to Tuscaloosa Alabama, to begin my college journey. It was late August, fraternity recruitment was coming to an end on campus, and I had no intention of making Greek life a part of my collegiate experience. In English 102, a classmate of mine told me about a recruitment event happening for a fraternity that night. I decided to check it out. It was there that I excitedly accepted my bid and began the amazing experience of brotherhood that the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity has to offer. 

The Zeta Eta Chapter at the University of Alabama was young and full of potential. Chartered in 2014, myself joining in Fall of 2016, it was still struggling to grow on a campus of 100+ member fraternities. While those in charge had taken crucial steps in establishing the chapter at Alabama, it was up to those who were a part of the newer associate member classes to implement the changes that would allow it to grow and find long term success on campus. Over the course of the next four years, myself, along with many of my brothers, would go on to lead the chapter to new heights, while also addressing serious challenges. After half a term as scholarship chairman, I took over as Treasurer for a year and a half to navigate the chapter out of nearly $20,000 in debt to nationals and our leasing agency. Following my time as Treasurer, I served as Chapter President where I, along with my Executive Council, implemented a new standards board, improved our service hours through mandatory chapter events, introduced a guest lecture series to our chapter meetings, created a new room in our chapter house for brotherhood and ritual events, continued a new philanthropy event that brought alumni and new members families together to renew old ties and welcome new associates, and continued the strong budgeting I established as treasurer with two consecutive chapters of meeting all obligations while running a near surplus.  

 When reflecting on my journey I must begin by thanking those who helped me along the way. First off, thank you to those who were with me from the beginning serving on exec with me from my freshmen year. Alex Roberts, Matthew Shumate, Conner Lind and Jackson Reese, were freshmen with me in 2016-2017, and through our united vision we were able to work together through our various exec positions to implement changes from the beginning that were the essential groundwork to get our chapter to where it is today. Additionally, I would like to thank those who served on my cabinet as president and were essential in continuing that work and providing important consul in decision making. This includes Santiago Diaz, Alex East, Brett McCracken and Jay Johnson. All of them played essential roles and still do serve the chapter in its advancement today. Lastly, I would like to thank those outside our chapter who helped out including my two success managers, Jacob Breese and Alex Haller, our chapter advisor James Mixson, the member services coordinator Cecilie McGhehy, and all of the staff of the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life at the University of Alabama.   

Looking back and comparing where our chapter was to where our chapter is now, the biggest thing that contributed to change was our openness to it. If there was advice I had for my brothers, it would be to use outside resources. People in life have a tendency to be insular. This isn’t just a trait of fraternities or Greek life, we see it in the institutions that govern our universities, our cities, our states and our country. People tend to get comfortable with the way things are, and don’t want to hear outside opinions on how to make improvements. And while things may seem good staying the same, if you’re not seeking continuous improvement, then chances are, you’re headed towards a path of regression. As a freshman, I thought my chapter's weaknesses were its financial position and weak membership numbers. But what I quickly learned was that our weakness was our reluctance to ask for help. It was through being open to advice that we learned new recruiting tactics and developed a stronger budgeting method to address those two problems. By building relationships with those who guided us through these challenges, we were able to not only address them, but strategically plan how to strengthen other areas of our chapter going forward. This outward thinking wasn’t just advice coming from those who offered it, but also those in similar positions. Reaching out to other Phi Tau Presidents, as well as Chapter Presidents at Alabama, helped me get guidance on how to address a variety of issues that I faced during my term. Most importantly, finding ways to pass on those relationships to those who follow allows them to continue to benefit the chapter as whole. So, to sum it up – welcome new ideas, build new relationships, and always have an open mind.  

 Thank you to those on the National Council and the Phi Kappa Tau Awards Committee for this distinguished honor. Congratulations to all my brothers in class of 2020. Thank you, and Roll Tide.  

Auburn Alumnus named Chairman Alabama Bankers Association

Jimmy Stubbs, Auburn ‘82, has become Chairman on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Bankers Association. Stubbs is a Founding Director and the CEO of River Bank & Trust in Prattville, AL.

“Jimmy is a big believer in all things community is and is well-prepared to serve as ABA chairman,” ABA President and CEO Scott Latham said in the press release. “He is a broad thinker, a visionary, and the ideal choice to lead the association through these unprecedented times. We look forward to his leadership and our work together in the coming year.”

Stubbs, who is active in the area, is also a Board Member of the Montgomery Area Committee of 100, the Montgomery Area committee for the Arts, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, and the YMCA of Montgomery Endowment Foundation. He is a member of Leadership Alabama, the Tocqueville Society of the River Region United Way, and the Wetumpka Lions Club.

After graduating Auburn, Stubbs received an executive MBA from Troy University. He also completed the Alabama Banking School at the University of South Alabama, the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University, and the Professional Masters of Banking at the Executive Banking Institute in Austin, TX.

River Bank & Trust was founded in 2006 as a community-focused financial institution that supports local decision making and re-circulates money back into the communities it serves. Today, River Bank & Trust is one of the largest state-chartered banks in Alabama. Go Far!

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