When and where did you pledge?
I pledged in the Spring of 1997 at Drake University (Alpha Iota).
I served as the Treasurer of my pledge class. I believe we had a total of 8 pledges that semester.
How has DSP changed since you were initiated?
There have been a lot of changes since I was initiated. More than I care to think about. The good thing is that most (if not all) of the changes have been for the better. The changes that I have noticed the most are those made to the pledging process. Over the past 8 years there have many gradual changes to enhance the experience of pledging process. Many things that may or could have been misconstrued as hazing have been eliminated. The changes made were in the best interest of both the fraternity as a whole and each individual pledge class.
Where do you see DSP in 5 years?
I see Deltasig being in a similar position as it is today. The one of the most recognized and respected fraternities around. I can’t remember if we are the largest or 2nd largest in the Nation. Either way…I like to think that we will be the largest within the next 5 years.
I know I will definitely still be very active in my fraternity.
What advice would you give to collegiate brothers who are about to graduate?
Start networking “now” with your local Alumni chapter and EI alums. Make as many contacts as you can and start building a foundation for a relationship with your alumni. They may serve as a mentor for you…or be a doorway to landing a great opportunity within a company. Alumni tend to be a under-utilized resource and it this economy…they value is immeasurable.
When did you become TCAC President?
I was elected the president of TCAC in August of 2002. Prior to this role I held such positions as Director of Membership Affairs Chapter Liasion and led several committees.
How many people are actively involved in TCAC?
We will typically have 30 people at any given event. However the 30 that shows up is not always the same. It is nice to have a constant flow of new individuals come through. Our numbers tend to increase in the Fall since a lot of recent graduates will start to get involved with the alumni chapter once the summer has ended.
We are thinking about starting a Mankato Alumni Chapter. What advice would you have in beginning this alumni chapter?
Contact Central Office to get a list of all of the Alumni in your area. Probably about an hour radius. Ensure that recent grads are playing a large role in the starting of this chapter. They will still have a good idea of how the operations of a chapter should run. Contact at least 4 other alumni chapters to see how they are structured. This will help you ascertain how often you should meet as alumni and what types of events you want to embark on. This will also give you the opportunity to view their Bylaws and decide which things you would like to adopt into your own bylaws. You only need 10 members to start an alumni chapter, but of course more is better.
Congratulations on being recently elected our North Central RVP. How many chapters are you currently overseeing?
I currently oversee 7 chapters. This includes: 6 Collegiate chapters and 1 Alumni chapter. Primarily the entire state of Minnesota and the LaCrosse chapter.
Anything else you'd like to say to EI?:
To keep up the good work and stay on top of your CEI points. Your chapter is starting to really put themselves on the map. It is great that your chapter is continuing to have impressive representation at National events. You guys were all the buzz at GCC because you brought so many members and you also had a really good showing at the Des Moines LEAD.
Your chapter has exhibited a strong brotherhood, which is the most important thing to me. Personally, I am proud to have you in my region and I look forward to seeing your chapter continue to improve and become one of the top chapters in the country.