Matt Arnold Named Chief Executive Officer of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity

Matt Arnold, CEO

[Oxford, OH – April 10th 2023] Phi Kappa Tau has a new leader at the helm. After an extensive search process by our National Council, aided by Columns Fundraising, we are pleased to announce that Matt Arnold will be assuming the position of Chief Executive Officer as of today, April 10th, 2023.  

Coming to us with over 20 years of experience in the fraternity and sorority industry, Arnold has spent the past decade in a senior sales executive role at memberplanet, then HistoryIT. Prior to this position, he spent twelve years with the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity—acting as a chief architect in implementing lasting change in expansion, chapter services, and operations. As the CEO of Phi Kappa Tau, Arnold hopes to utilize his experience to grow our organization while following through on the Strategic Plan goals and initiatives.  

Currently Arnold lives in Indianapolis with his wife, Andrea, and their three children, Lily, Max, and Laney. He will be commuting to the Executive Offices and looks forward to building great working relationships with everyone on staff. Regarding his new position, Arnold stated: 

“I am thrilled to join the Phi Kappa Tau family in its pursuit to strengthen and grow the brotherhood. The Fraternity’s visionary leadership, along with its Strategic Plan, has positioned Phi Kappa Tau for exciting new opportunities and to enhance the entire membership experience. I look forward to joining the tremendous team of national volunteers and staff to accelerate our momentum.” 

We are excited to have Matt Arnold at the forefront of a new chapter in the Phi Kappa Tau story. Regarding this hiring, our National President, Dale Holland, Kent State ’87, passed along this message from himself and the National Council: 

“We welcome Matt Arnold to the Phi Tau family; the National Council and I are super excited as the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity enters a new chapter. We are confident that Matt has the skills, passion, and professional expertise to lead our fraternity and the Executive Offices in Oxford. We wish to thank Wes Wicker and his team at Columns Fundraising Inc. for their assistance in hiring our new CEO. This is the first time in the history of Phi Kappa Tau that we have hired a non-Phi Tau to serve as our CEO, and this benchmark will pay huge dividends going forward. Matt possesses the skills to help the Fraternity maintain and sustain our current chapters, as well as continuing to move forward with our Strategic Plan goals. Please come to our 65th National Convention this July and help me welcome Matt Arnold to the rest of the Phi Kappa Tau Ecosystem.” 

We would like to thank Sam Medley, Transylvania '94, for acting as interim CEO during this time of transition and are pleased that he will continue to serve as a special advisor to the CEO.

Founded in 1906, Phi Kappa Tau is a social men’s fraternity committed to brotherhood, learning, ethical leadership and exemplary character. Headquartered in Oxford, Ohio, the fraternity consists of 88 active chapters and an extensive alumni network across the country.  

For a PDF version of this release click here.

Famed Film Editor Robert Dalva, Colgate '61, Passes in January

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

In the mid 1960’s a group of young men came the USC School of Cinematic Arts; these men were comprised of promising directors, screenwriters, producers, editors, and cinematographers. An astounding 12 of them would go on to have successful careers in the film industry and would be dubbed with the moniker, “The Dirty Dozen,” after the 1967 Robert Aldrich film of the same name. Among those distinguished men was Alpha Upsilon alumnus, Robert Dalva, Colgate '61. Following his three post-graduate years at USC, Dalva began working with Francis Ford Coppola and fellow classmate, George Lucas, at their innovative production company, American Zoetrope. Dalva and Lucas would rekindle their partnership again on the original Star Wars, where Dalva handled second-unit photography. Two years later Dalva landed the role of Editor for The Black Stallion, which netted him an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing. 

As his career progressed, Dalva continued to work on big name films and with prestigious filmmakers. His resume includes Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger, October Sky, Jurassic Park III, Raising Cain, Lovelace, Hidalgo, and countless others. Along with his extensive editing resume, Dalva directed the sequel The Black Stallion Returns in 1983. In 2017, he began teaching part-time at the San Francisco Film School. On January 27th, 2023, Robert Dalva entered the chapter eternal. Dalva is survived by his wife, Marcia, whom he married in 1964; sons Matthew, Cory, and Marshall; daughter Jessica; grandchildren Nathan, Zach, Luellen and Calvin; and brother Leon. 

In a Hollywood Reporter article, it was shared that, “Dalva ‘felt that movies move through time but are finite,’ Matthew Dalva said. ‘The experience of a movie takes you along second by second, minute-by-minute, shot after shot, until the experience ends. But time is rarely real in a movie, it must be compressed and manipulated. The stories that he helped tell, pace, structure and set the mood entertained and made millions experience different worlds and stories and see new things.’” 

Strategy in Motion

This is a part of the Strategic Plan 2025 series. 

October 2022-December 2022 marked the final quarter of the 2022 Calendar Year and served to tee Phi Kappa Tau up for a strong 2022. We want to reflect on the goals set during that period and what was set in motion for 2023.  

The goals for the October 2022-December 2022 Quarter Were: 

1. Adopt proactive approach towards growth 

2. Develop program strategy and execution plans that deliver value 

3. Refine and expand membership engagement 

4. Architect a high-performance culture and collaborative team 

Adopt a proactive approach towards growth: 

Many chapters had their strongest recruiting semester in years, such as Alpha Sigma at Colorado State.

To achieve a proactive approach towards growth, many small adjustments needed to be made and areas of improvement had to be identified. The close of the Fall semester brought in 965 new associate members, which was 65 over our goal for the quarter. This was due to increased recruitment by the chapters and proactive outreach via the recruitment services program. New recruitment and branding materials also aided the efforts to ensure a professional and consistent look amongst the chapters. This growth was also supported by our expansion department which associated over 100 men through their efforts in the quarter which accounted for just over 10% of total associates. We also saw the beginning of a new “revitalization” program at the University of Kansas in which recruiters went to our Beta Theta chapter which resulted in a doubling of the chapter size during the project.  

Some areas of improvement include the timeliness of initiation as only 8% of new associates were reported as initiated and a process is being developed to address this inconsistency with reporting moving forward.  

Develop program strategy and execution plans that deliver value:

The logo used to advertise “Zenith Officer Institute”

Research is critical in the development of our programming for undergraduate and graduate members. To do so we launched the Brotherhood Assessment to which we received 30% completion rate across all chapters. We look forward to increasing this survey completion in future collaboration with Dyad Strategies to increase the quality of information regarding our membership.  

The development of a new, expanded officer academy took place with the creation of Zenith Officer Institute that would go on to take place the following quarter. Further developments were made regarding the refined membership orientation program “The Palm,” and final preparations were made for the Spring 2023 launch.  

Refine membership engagement:

The “Veteran Recognition Pin” is sent free of charge to US Veteran members.

Multiple steps were taken to refine overall membership engagement. On the alumni side, a new graduate transition best practices process was created and delivered to volunteers, and research began on best ways to increase volunteer engagement and utilization of digital resources such as Member Planet. The Veteran Recognition form launch made it simple for veteran members to receive their newly developed commemorative pin and the development of forms for the 25th and 50th anniversary lapel pins. 

For undergraduates, a few small but impactful resources were developed including travel tips guide for undergraduates, the Brothers Keeper Archive for peer-to-peer recognition, and new recruitment marketing materials/templates for chapters to use.  

In addition to all the developed resources we also made refinements to our membership materials such as shifting how we distribute associate pins to ensure more timely acquisition of materials for chapters, and the exploration of a new official store that chapters can more easily access high quality Phi Kappa Tau merchandise. 

Architect a high-performance culture and collaborative team:

The CEO search began in December 2022.

As an organization, we have been striving to refine our processes as well as continue to identify necessary shifts to further progress the goals of the Strategic Plan. There is still a lot of work to be done in identifying what specific processes need to be changed and how we document the culture and workflow of the Executive Offices, volunteer stakeholders, and of course – our undergraduate members.  

A key piece of this addressed during the quarter was the launch of the CEO search through columns fundraising to identify the next Chief Executive Officer of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity expected to be selected in Spring of 2023. With the addition of a new CEO to the team, we anticipate a greater attention to our volunteer structure and forward momentum on key areas of executive function.  

Overall: 

This quarter saw great strides as a team in moving the Strategic Plan forward and served as a great exercise in making both small and large improvements to set Phi Kappa Tau up for success. We have quite a bit of work yet to do to achieve our 2025 goals, and aligning all stakeholders is a key piece to that. Visit phikappatau.org/strategicplan for more information and to track progress. Our next update will be out April 15th which will go over the January-March 2023 quarter. 

Introducing The Brother's Keeper Archive

By Hayden Schimborski, Middle Tennessee State '17

The Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices realize that the success of a fraternity is an all-around team effort. We want to give you, our undergraduate leaders, the chance to spotlight a selected member for their longstanding chapter accomplishments. 

BKA Pin

Upon approval into a chapter's B.K.A, short for “The Brother’s Keeper Archive” nominated members will be gifted with an exclusive PKT badge (as pictured), displaying their honorable place in our fraternity as well as the chance to be forever cemented in your chapter's history. Members of your B.K.A. will be recognized in the Phi Tau internal records for your chapter, and your brother's story will be part of a legacy within their chapter.  

Qualifications to apply: 

• A member cannot submit themselves. 

• Submitted members MUST be active in the chapter for at least 3 academic semesters. (Note: 

Initiated, Associate, or Alumni status do not carry any weight in decision making. It is preferred that nominations remain from 2021 and beyond) 

• Submitted members MUST be in good standing with their chapter of origin. 

• Submitted members must have participated in an honorable endeavor, something tangible and able to verify.  

• Submitted members must give their permission before application approval is complete and all applicants must be approved by the B.K.A. committee.  

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As members are approved in their respective chapter’s B.K.A., our office will spotlight their accomplishments here. The first ever nominee for this initiative was Zeta Lambda member, Nate Talley, Middle Tennessee State '21. Serving as Treasurer and Philanthropy Chair, Nate embodied the ideals of Phi Kappa Tau long before being introduced to the cardinal principles themselves. As treasurer, Nate helped steer Zeta Lambda's finances in a time of chapter uncertainty over the last three years. Nate has been a glimmering example of what every fraternity man should aspire to be. Not only is he treated with respect and admiration in the MTSU Greek community. The man makes homemade gifts such as stoles upon brothers graduating, it does not get more Phi Tau than that.  

His commitment to brotherhood and the greater fraternal experience are what truly make him worthy of recognition. Nate's accomplishments go far beyond those in his role, he has been one of the most loyal, kind, and honorable examples of what a fraternity man should be. Guys like Nate are the reason that this initiative was created, and I could not imagine anyone more fitting to be the first inductee to the B.K.A. 

This initiative's goal is to recognize longstanding officers for their outstanding achievements in their time spent as an undergraduate of Phi Kappa Tau. We hope this allows your chapter to take the first steps at giving our organization's backbone national recognition.  

Application to Apply for B.K.A.-> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6QL92TZ 

For any further questions, please contact Hayden Schimborski (hschimborski@phikappatau.org (615)200-3851) 

117 Community Service Kickstarters!

Zeta Mu Chapter at Appalachian State at their “Adopt-A-Street” cleanup project.

Each March is Phi Kappa Tau’s “Founders Month of Service”, and in honor of our 117th Founders Day our Chapter Services Team has developed 117 Community Service Event to help kickstart your community service efforts for the rest of the month.

Below you will find a combination of one-day and multi-day events that you chapter can use as inspiration for community service related activities. Not all may work for your location or campus, but we’re positive at least one of these ideas will help your chapter get engaged in your community!

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1. Spontaneous campus cleanup.

2. Collect litter at a local park.

3. Volunteer at a local animal shelter/ humane society.

4. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen.

5. Donate blood or plasma.

6. Help people register to vote.

7. Rake leaves/ shovel snow/ do some landscaping for someone in need.

8. Volunteer at a local boys and girls club.

9. Offer dog-walking services. 

10. Host a food drive.

11. Take and donate photos during community events. 

12. Participate in the cleanup of a local river, pond, or lake. 

13. Collect bottles for recycling and donate the funds to charity. 

14. Send cards to soldiers serving overseas.

15. Donate old eyeglasses to an organization that collects that and distributes them to people in need.

16. Donate non-perishable food to a food bank.

17. Donate blankets to a homeless shelter.

18. Make "care kits" with shampoo, toothbrushes, combs, etc. to donate to homeless shelters. 

19. Make first aid kits for homeless shelters. 

20. Hold an athletics contest.

21. Host a study group. 

22. Write letters to seniors in care facilities.

23. Volunteer at a community center. 

24. Plant sustainable trees and flowers.

25. Train for a race with someone who is training for a marathon or 5K .

26. Bake treats for a local non profit community center.

27. Organize books at your local library.

28. Help a local School as a Crossing Guard.

29. Take a life saving class.

30. Offer free self-defense lessons (After getting trained yourself).

31. Organize a game nights at senior homes. 

32. Volunteer your time to walk with seniors or assist them in their daily exercises. 

33. Have a blanket making party then donate them to an animal shelter.

34. Preserve hiking and nature trails near you.

35. Offer free college essay workshops.

36. Volunteer as a peer counselor.

37. Petition for community improvements.

38. College athletes can offer free sports clinics for children who may not have the opportunity to play on a team. 

39. Check with your school to see if student volunteers can clean academic facilities for a day to give janitorial staff a break. 

40. Host local tours to familiarize prospective students with their surroundings. 

41. Host an event that connects students with alumni. 

42. Teach life lessons or “adulting” classes. 

43. Help students relax with free de-stressing activities. 

44. Connect with gamers by hosting a gaming tournament and donate proceeds to SeriousFun or a charity of your choice.

45. Phone bank to your local representatives about local issues. 

46. Build birdhouses for your community.

47. Donate stuffed animals to children in hospitals.

48. Paint over graffiti in your neighborhood.

49. Create and distribute a list of hotlines for people who might need help.

50. Become CPR certified.

51. Paint park benches.

52. Donate used books to your local library.

53. Become a tour guide at your local museum.

54. Repaint community fences.

55. Volunteer to clean up trash at a community event.

56. Volunteer to help set up for a community event. 

57. Clean up vacant lot. 

58. Build park benches. 

59. Conduct a neighborhood drive to collect used furniture. 

60. Test the health of the water in your local lakes, rivers or streams. 

61. Take household toxic waste to a proper disposal facility. 

62. Check indoor radon levels. 

63. Deliver meals to homebound individuals. 

64. Offer to pick up groceries with/for a senior citizen. 

65. Help senior citizens in your neighborhood obtain and install locks or smoke alarms. 

66. Become an advocate. Contact your legislators on issues close to your heart. 

67. Contact a local organization about donating flags to public institutions. 

68. Contact job training and placement centers in your community. 

69. Collect and donate school supplies. 

70. Collect grocery coupons for local food pantries to help them with costs. 

71. Help your neighbors with repairs. 

72. Design a community mural. 

73. Organize a reading hour for children at a local school or library.

74. Teach computer skills to someone who needs it.

75. Organize a carpool to reduce car emissions.

76. Create a “random acts of kindness campaign” and hold open doors or other such activities for students on your campus.

77. Choose toys at the mall to donate to a toy drive. 

78. Greet new neighbors with a gift package filled with local goods. 

79. Collect coins for a special cause. 

80. Make "You Made My Day" cards and give them to cashiers, baristas, delivery people, or anyone else you meet. 

81. Host a car wash. 

82. Host a clothing drive.

83. Host a canned food drive.

84. Host a bake sale. 

85. Host a clothing swap. 

86. Host a holiday meal. 

87. Host a competitive book drive. 

88. Host activities for kids in hospitals. 

89. Host a dog wash. 

90. Host an immunization clinic. 

91. Host a river clean-up. 

92. Host a gardening party. 

93. Host a study group. 

94. Hosting or participating in a 5K run. 

95. Building homes with an organization like Habitat for Humanity. 

96. Host a Serious Fun-A-Thon.

97. Help a neighbor or community org paint fence or building. 

98. Organize events to help new students make friends.

99. Sponsor a recycling contest.

100. Adopt a local highway or road and clean up trash along it.

101. Design a campaign to promote tolerance and understanding of differences. 

102. Collect and donate school supplies. 

103. Coach a youth sports team. 

104. Publicly host and share your creativity to help uplift and revitalize your community. 

105. Organize seminars that educate people on topics like drug abuse, depression, mental and emotional wellbeing. 

106. Volunteer as a firefighter in your community. 

107. Create a training program that teaches life-saving skills like CPR or the Heimlich maneuver. 

108. Help install street lights for a street lighting project in your area. 

109. Help organizations paint run-down buildings or spruce up a neighborhood playground. 

110. Coordinate with your marching band or club orchestra to give free music lessons to children in the surrounding community (this can be for a semester or a one-time workshop). 

111. Students can volunteer to provide free babysitting for children of professors and staff during busy times on campus, like finals or the beginning of a semester. 

112. Recruit popular speakers or host TED Talks. 

113. Volunteer to do social media for a local org. 

114. Host a craft show  to recognize local artists.

115. Organize a small business shop day to benefit the small businesses in your community  

116. Teach an ESL class at a local school or library. 

117. Become a member at a museum, theater, or cultural institution and volunteer at events. 

Founders Month of Service Challenge

Phi Taus at a National Service Event at Camp Boggy Creek in 2015

Founders Month of Service is upon us! This month-long initiative has had many forms in the past, and we have seen a massive return to activity since chapters began to return to in-person activities the past several semesters. Overall, we want chapters to view this month as an excellent opportunity to get out and participate in some community service in honor of our founders!  

This year there are three simple ways to engage with the Founders Month of Service activities.  

1. Do Something: Did you know that last year we had nearly 20,000 hours of community service reported by our undergraduate membership? While this is a number we are proud of, and an increase from the past couple of years it still averages out to just about 5 hours per man for the entire year. Our minimum expectations call for each member to participate in at least 15 hours of community service. This month alone we could beat the total hour count from 2022! In the coming days we’ll be rolling out some handy resources for how to pull off a weekend community service event on short notice! 

1. Commit to Volunteer: Per the Borradaile Challenge, every chapter should have at least one volunteer at a SeriousFun camp to exceed expectations. There are several benefits to volunteering at a SeriousFun camp, both personal and professional. This month we want to have 50 undergraduates complete our volunteer interest form! By filling out this form you will be connected with our National Service Advisor who will connect you with the right information to complete your volunteer application for the right SeriousFun camp for you! Click here for the form. 

1. Donate: To ease the financial burden of traveling, the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation has stipends set aside to go towards travel expenses when volunteering at a SeriousFun camp. For Founders Day of Giving, we have set up a fundraising team with a goal of $5,000 to help provide additional funds for the several new volunteers we expect to be attending camp this summer! Click here for the fundraising page. 

To help encourage you to participate, if we reach 50 volunteer interest form submissions or $5,000 raised through our fundraising team National President Dale Holland, Kent State ’87, will shave his head! 

However you choose to participate this month we hope that you find a renewed meaning in what it means to be a member of Phi Kappa Tau and “discharge the obligation to others”.  

The Founders Day of Giving 2023 Donation Site is Live!

Our third annual Founders Day of Giving is around the corner, but you can make your impact today! As this year will mark our 117th anniversary, we are striving for new heights and setting our goal at $117,000 for the campaign. This ambitious goal will go a long way in meeting the education, leadership development, and philanthropic needs of our brothers around the country. In the coming days, and as you prepare your Founders Day of Giving gift, we are asking that you ponder the question, do you remember why?  

...you joined Phi Tau  

...this brotherhood means so much to you   

...it's important that more young men can join our organization  

You can reach the giving page by clicking here. 

How do I give? 

• To help fill our progress bar to $117,000 there are multiple ways to participate. First time donors of greater than $117 OR a new recurring gift of $10 or more receive a customized brick in our Centennial Garden! 

• You can use our general donation link by clicking “donate now” on our giving home page. Gifts from now and through the 17th will go towards our giving total. 

• You can scroll down our page and find our list of team captains and fundraisers and donate directly to their individual fundraising drives, all funds donated impact our $117,000 total.  

• You can become a fundraiser and join a team through our main giving site, then you can help spread the word to more brothers.  

• On our giving site you will be able to see comments and leaderboards of brothers who have contributed to the campaign. 

• Gifts may also be sent in through mail via cash or check and we can count them towards the day’s total! Mail checks to: Phi Kappa Tau Foundation, Ewing T. Boles Executive Offices, 5221 Morning Sun Road, Oxford, OH 45056 

Where do the funds go? 

• By default, the gifts towards the Founders Day of Giving will be going towards the Brotherhood Fund which is the annual giving campaign for the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation that allows more flexibility in providing funds for Phi Kappa Tau’s greatest needs. 

• Team captains are encouraged to have funds go towards whichever designation they see fit. Either the Brotherhood Fund, or by any other fund through the drop down menu on the donation page. 

• Undergraduate teams are raising funds for their Chapter Educational Grant Funds, which can be selected by using the designation drop down on the donation page.  

We hope to see you participate in our 2023 Founders Day of Giving!

How Can We Improve and Grow: A Q&A With Three of Our Undergraduate Men

It is no great secret that Phi Kappa Tau and the majority of the fraternity world is made up of primarily white men. Yet, although this is the reality, we are continuing to make strides as an organization to not only recruit men of distinction from all backgrounds, but to highlight our members of color continually throughout the year. In our pursuit of improvement, we decided to end the month of February with a Q&A, discussing the experience of three of our brothers: 

CeVonte Jones, Lynchburg ’21 (CJ) 

Jayneil Latham, Westminster ’21 (JL) 

Justin Pronk, Georgetown ’23 (JP) 

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Jayneil and the brothers of Beta Phi, following the pinning of his girlfriend.

Q: Tell us a bit about the makeup of your campus. Do you find there to be a diverse range of students from different backgrounds? 

CJ: The student body on campus at the University of Lynchburg is more than diverse, it’s a community of its own. Everyone here has their own unique identity that makes them stand out from others.   

JL: Most of the students on our campus are similar in background. There is plenty of opportunity to be able to enroll at Westminster, but with it being a private school in a very small town not many know about, it makes it hard for it to be super diverse. The majority of students are local kids that come to play a sport, so most of us have a lot in common. 

JP: There are all sorts of students who come from different walks of life at Georgetown College. While most of the students are from here in Georgetown, we have athletes that attend the school from all around the world such as, England, Spain, Portugal, Jamacia, Columbia, and many more. There are also students from all corners of Kentucky, as well as different states around the country 

Q: What was your recruitment experience like? What compelled you to become a member of Phi Kappa Tau? 

CJ: My recruitment experience was a lot different than normal. I got my bid for Phi Tau during the peak of covid in 2021. It was all online, but the current members still saw potential in me as a man of character. I was looking for a way to get involved on campus as a commuter and I had a couple friends in Phi Kappa Tau already, so they reached out to me to come to a rush event and the members were very welcoming and inclusive of me as a potential new member. It felt like I had known these guys for years upon first meeting them. 

JL: Looking back at my recruitment process, I was just taken under the wing of a brother at Phi Kappa Tau. I was completely not interested in joining a fraternity at Westminster, but it was the bond I made with that brother that when he said, “Hey you should come take a look at Phi Tau and see what we are about,” I trusted his word and started participating in recruitment. It was not the big house, or events, but honestly it was quality time with the brothers during recruitment that compelled me to become a member of Phi Kappa Tau. 

JP: I had a good time during my recruitment experience. I went to all the houses on campus, however, none of them stuck out like Phi Tau did. The guys at Phi Tau had a genuine friendship, and tried their best to connect with others, while having a good time. 

Q: When it comes to recruiting a more diverse range of undergraduate men, what improvements or services could our fraternity provide to our chapters around the country? 

CeVonte Jones.

CJ: When recruiting new members, I think we are taking the right steps to make our chapters more diverse around the country. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of all peoples has been a top priority which has shown a stronger sense of brotherhood. 

JL: The only thing I could possibly think of would be grants or scholarships awarded from Phi Kappa Tau for things like dues and tuition for students of diverse backgrounds. At most schools like mine, the tuition is a pretty hefty burden, so more money that students may owe if they join a fraternity can really set them away from joining. Some help in this area would greatly impact the diversity of students. 

JP: My advice would be to put yourself out there on campus and be inclusive towards others. When you put yourself out there, you get more opportunities to meet other guys who are searching for that brotherhood experience during college, and long after. Also, host a range of different recruitment events. This way, all sorts of people will attend and get to meet everyone in the fraternity. Most importantly, move as a unit. When everyone works together to create a good experience for everyone, your group will be more than successful. 

Q: Do you believe Phi Kappa Tau is doing all that it could to be inclusive toward black members and alumni? If not, how do we improve going forward? 

CJ: I believe that Phi Kappa Tau is taking all the right steps to be inclusive of black members and alumni but a slight improvement I would consider making is not only placing a spotlight on them during black history month. 

Justin Pronk.

JL: As long as each brother can look at themselves in the mirror and honestly say they are doing their best not to discriminate against black members and alumni, then I think that Phi Kappa Tau is doing a great job! Just because there may not be huge representation of black members in Phi Kappa Tau, does not always mean it is the fault of the organization. 

JP: From my standpoint I think that Phi Tau does an excellent job, however, it is important to note that diversity means nothing without men of character and distinction. 

Q: Do you have any parting thoughts for our brothers and readership? 

CJ: Phi Kappa Tau is an organization that has changed the trajectory of my college years. It has grown me into a better man with many important life skills and experiences and only continues to build onto that. Phi Kappa Tau has become my second family and with that said, I think this organization has the potential to change the lives of many others as it did mine. 

JP: College, and the fraternity experience is what you make it! Live your college life in a way that you can always look forward to the days ahead. Go far. 

Kitt Wakeley, East Central OK '87, Brings Home His First Grammy Award

During the 65th Annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday, February 5th, Kitt Wakeley, East Central OK '87, won his first Grammy for An Adoption Story. Winning in the category of Best Classical Compendium Album, Wakeley stated the following during his acceptance speech: 

“Winning a GRAMMY is the highest honor of my music career and today I have the privilege of receiving the gold statuette. I’m so honored that this album and the GRAMMY process have cast such a positive light on foster care and adoptive families. I’m blessed to have worked with such an amazing team of musicians and music creatives who were able to elevate my music into something that captured the passion and spirit behind it.  I’ll embrace this moment with the utmost humility and cherish the moment with my family, friends, and peers for the rest of my career. 

I’d like to thank The Recording Academy for this opportunity and to congratulate all the nominees and fellow winners. The quality of this year’s GRAMMY submissions was spectacular.”   

The alumni run website, PKT Alumni Club, wrote up a piece on Wakeley and his accomplishments, which we will feature below:  

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Kitt Wakeley and his family.

Christopher “Kitt” Wakeley was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He completed his bachelor’s degree in pre-Law and sociology and a master's in public administration from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. He was initiated into the Gamma Xi Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity on December 12, 1987. Kitt received his master's degree in health administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1994 and is an active member of the PKT Alumni Club. 

An Adoption Story features the London Symphony Orchestra recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios, plus stellar featured guests, including Grammy Award-winning South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, 15-time Grammy Award-nominated guitarist Joe Satriani, among many other talented musicians. The album features additional production by three-time Grammy Award-winner Tre Nagella, mixing by Eva Reistad, and mastering by four-time Grammy Award-winner Gavin Lurssen. 

An Adoption Story is Kitt’s personal musical voyage that explores his time in the foster care system as a young child where he was separated from his half-sister, Tasha. His subsequent adoption into a loving family, reuniting with Tasha decades later, and to the present, where Kitt and his wife Melissa adopted three siblings — Chris (9), KJ (7), and Nia (6) — to keep them from going through the same trauma of separation he experienced. A year after the adoption of Chris, KJ, and Nia, Kitt’s story about reuniting with Tasha spread to national media. 

Getting Reunion Ready

This article is taken from our most recent edition of The Laurel, to read the full digital edition click here!

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

There’s an age-old adage stated among fraternity men nationwide; typically mentioned at your first recruitment event and carried through the years to come. “It’s not four years, it’s a lifetime.”  

Bill Brasch speaking at the Louisville 75th.

But is it really? Year after year passes following graduation, and life seems to pile on an endless slew of new happy distractions. Careers, family, traveling, and countless other matters pull you a little bit further away from the wide-eyed brother of Phi Kappa Tau who was so utterly consumed by life as a fraternity man. This is merely the reality of growing older and is in no way indicative of how treasured even the most distant of brothers are to this organization. The truth is, losing touch and letting go is easier. It takes a deep passion and commitment to continue giving more of yourself to this organization. It’s a sacrifice of some productivity during a workday, a few weekends with the family throughout the year, or of some much-needed free time. This continued service to our brotherhood goes beyond keeping in touch with a small group of men, and bridges into the task of bringing an entire chapter back together. These fearless leaders take on the daunting task of keeping contact information up to date for generations of brothers within their chapter; plan banquets, dinners, anniversaries, and a number of other events; and work diligently with the Executive Office staff to curate the best possible post-graduate experience for members of Phi Kappa Tau. Continuing to display their devotion to this brotherhood and their chapter, these are the men who bring us out of our own bubble and welcome us back into the fray with open arms. 

This past year, Phi Kappa Tau chapters around the country celebrated various anniversaries and many held events in celebrations of these landmarks. Among these were Alpha Psi at Texas-El Paso celebrating an 81st anniversary, Gamma Alpha honoring the 65th anniversary of their Founding as Mu Kappa Mu local fraternity, Beta Beta at Lousiville with a 75th anniversary celebration, and Omicron at Penn State ringing in 100 years of brotherhood.  

Texas El-Paso celebrating 81 years.

For Alpha Psi, this was a gathering for the first time in 30 years, and saw a weekend filled with a Friday night poolside reception at the former Chapter House, before moving down the street to dinner; a Saturday night Reunion dinner, attended by 75 brothers, family members, and loved ones; ending with a Sunday farewell lunch. This event stemmed from an impromptu dinner in August 2021 attended by 11 brothers and snowballed into the jam-packed weekend attended by 60. Gamma Alpha gathers their brothers every five years for a reunion—this year's coming the weekend before Labor Day. With over 200 graduate members in attendance and 350 total guests, the men of Gamma Alpha had an abundance of reasons for celebration. Charter Members in attendance were awarded framed copies of the original charter, annual scholarship recipients from their CEG were announced, and the entire event was documented by Marty Schendel, Michigan Tech '81. Receiving the Phi Award for his contributions to the chapter, Jim Bacon, Michigan Tech '59, announced the creation and first recipients of the Bacon-Hlivak Legacy Scholarship with his son and grandson.  

Events like the Alpha Psi and Gamma Alpha reunions are a treat for the attendees, but for the planners of the event—the aforementioned dedicated few—these take diligent planning and months of work. For this piece, we were fortunate enough to speak with John Mountz, Penn State ’90, and Bill Brasch, PE, Louisville '67, on the subject of planning anniversary and reunion events. For those looking to plan an event like this in the future, let their advice be a guiding light to sure success.  

Senator Mitch McConnell with undergraduate brothers at the Louisville 75th.

The first step in planning any event is gathering attendees and notifying as many brothers as possible. For Brasch, his success in this regard comes from decades of diligent work—maintaining one of the most thorough lists of brother’s contact information within our fraternity. For the last fifty years, Brasch has maintained his zero lost alumni mentality, and has nearly accomplished it throughout the duration of that time. This extensive list aided in gathering an astounding 842 people at the 50th anniversary for Beta Beta and roughly 300 at the 75th anniversary. Both parties began the process by issuing save the dates via their social media channels, then locked down a date and issued a formal invitation. As the event drew closer, the groups would use mailers and email lists to drive traffic toward the social media channels. Omicron also included a "see who is attending feature” and had those on the planning committee send direct invitations to their close personal friends—this led to a large increase in attendance.  

The next step is to begin the process of organizing the event. Mountz and the Omicron planning committee began putting together their centennial five months before it was to be held, but he not only recommended, but strongly encouraged, beginning up to a year in advance. For Omicron, the goal was to create the most inclusive possible event, in hopes of reaching the largest audience. When planning the events for Beta Beta, Brasch has some strict guidelines for curating the best possible experience and garnering the most attendees. Utilizing opportunities presented by the campus, Brasch organizes these events on the same weekends as Louisville’s homecoming—giving those who participate the options to go to partake in the other activities throughout the weekend and limit the need for alumni to travel back for multiple events. When asked what advice he would give to fellow alumni planning their next event, Mountz stated, “Make it fit the personality of your chapter while also using this event as an opportunity to showcase what is great about our national organization. Many of our alumni were unaware of how the fraternity has changed over time and including staff from headquarters and/or leadership from the National Council just enhances the event for everyone.” 

Learning from the experience of an anniversary expert like Brasch and the innovative Omicron planning committee is only the tip of the iceberg. As you venture into planning the next event for your chapter, go into it knowing that you are amongst the men who add depth and truth to the lifelong aspect of our organization. Working to bring brothers back together, to reconnect those who may have lost touch, and rekindle relationships that have been long lost. The diligent work and dedication are rewarded beyond measure—for each brother brought back into the fold is not only a chance to reinvigorate their love for our organization, but a reminder of those days once spent surrounded by your fellow Phi Tau’s, learning and growing together as a whole.