AGRELEVANCE

Julie MacSwain

A Renewed House, a New Housemom

ALPHA PSI CHAPTER (WISCONSIN-RIVER FALLS) POSITIONED TO ATTRACT THE NEXT GENERATION OF BROTHERS

THERE’S A SENSE OF RENEWAL ON CASCADE

Avenue in River Falls, Wisconsin — home to Alpha Psi Chapter.

That spirit comes from two sources. First, an alumni fundraising campaign is helping make physical upgrades to the house, preparing it for the upcoming generation of brothers. Second, the presence of an important resident — a new Housemother — is helping make the house feel like a true college home.

With a fundraising campaign all set to launch earlier this year, needs suddenly accelerated when a planned roof replacement turned out to be more urgent than expected. Fortunately, Alpha Psi Chapter alumni rallied quickly and a new flat roof was installed at half the cost of what was originally estimated.

In just the first six months of the campaign, the chapter is already more than halfway to its fundraising goal of $450,000. In addition to the roof, funds will go towards paying off the mortgage, making additional repairs and upgrades, and seeding an improvement fund to help keep the chapter house in shape for years to come.

One other key renovation will make a huge difference for the chapter — updates to the on-site Housemother’s apartment.

Its new resident is Julie MacSwain, who took over Housemother duties in September. While she’s moved to River Falls from Oregon, MacSwain is no stranger to Wisconsin, agriculture, or Alpha Gamma Rho. Growing up on a Wisconsin pork and beef farm, she earned a degree in Agricultural Education from Wisconsin-Platteville, where she was a

The Housemother role is the heart and soul of the chapter — part scholarship adviser, community relations manager, and career counselor, as well as a major influence on morale and social development.

Honoring “Mom Voiles”

After 24 years, Monica Voiles retired as Alpha Psi Chapter's Housemother this spring. An excerpt from a recent tribute in the Chapter Crescent reads: “When she came to us in the fall of 1997, pin numbers of guys still in the chapter at the time were high 500’s to low 600’s. Today, we are in the 1180’s. This means roughly half of all our brothers have called her “Mom” as an undergrad… She is very highly respected across AGR by other Housemothers/Directors, and very deserving of every accolade she has amassed over her years.” Thank you, “Mom Voiles” for your commitment to Making

Better Men!

former Little Sister at Beta Gamma Chapter. A long career in agriculture makes Julie uniquely positioned to relate to the men of Alpha Psi Chapter in her new role. According to Noble Ruler, Nathan Welsh, the Housemother role is the heart and soul of the chapter — part scholarship adviser, community relations manager, and career counselor, as well as a major influence on morale and social development.

Put together, Julie’s presence, along with the improvements to the house, will prove to be a powerful force when recruiting new members.

“With fewer students going into agriculture, along with the rising cost of education and more housing options than ever, every recruiting advantage counts,” says Welsh. “An up-to-date house and amazing Housemom give us those advantages and make a huge difference.”

Corporate Partners

AGR is committed to offering opportunities to connect for members and corporations in the dynamic global agriculture and food industries. Thank you to our Corporate Partners for your support of our Purpose!

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Want to see your company added to our list? Visit alphagammarho.org/corporatepartners for information on how to become a Corporate Partner.

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@alphagammarhohq @alphagammarho Alpha Gamma Rho: Social/ Professional Ag, Food, Fiber, & Life Sci. Fraternity Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity

Resilience

AGR LEADERS GATHER IN MILWAUKEE FOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

AGR'S NATIONAL LEADERS, THE

National Board of Directors, The Educational Foundation Board, Collegiate Advisory Council, the Housing Resources Trust, Regional Vice Presidents, Home Office staff and others traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the 2021 AGR Leadership Conference, August 13-15. The theme of the Leadership Conference was “Resilience” as the National Fraternity and The Educational Foundation of Alpha Gamma Rho, along with all members continue to endure the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects across the nation.

What is the AGR Leadership Conference?

Every other year, in-between years of Alpha Gamma Rho’s biennial National Convention, a Leadership Conference is held for AGR’s National Leaders to gather and discuss the future of the Fraternity.

The 2021 Leadership Conference began Friday, August 13. The meeting quickly moved into its theme of “Resilience” as leaders from the Fraternity discussed where AGR stood as a fraternity and what the future of AGR might look like.

Resilience: Recruitment

The first day of the Conference, AGR leaders participated in a presentation by Josh Orendi, co-founder, owner and Chief Business Development Officer of Phired Up, a company dedicated to helping fraternities and sororities grow. Orendi discussed how the pandemic has impacted the studentaged populous and how chapters can go about recruiting in a post-COVID world.

Resilience: Fraternity

AGR’s Grand President, Doug Griffin, presented the State of the Fraternity as strong, despite any struggles brought about by the pandemic. His presentation displayed the resiliency of the National Fraternity.

CEO, Rex Martin; Senior Director of Operations, Grant Bargfrede; and Director of Leadership & Education, Amanda Horvat; discussed plans to improve Local Chapter Excellence so AGR can continue to Make Better Men.

Resilience: In-Person

Conference attendees ended the Leadership Conference with a River Cruise tour of Lake Michigan where attendees witnessed shoreline views of Milwaukee. Some of the sights included the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Daniel W. Hoan Memorial Bridge, named after one of the longest serving mayors of Milwaukee. This was the first in-person event hosted by AGR since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.