2015 CONVENTION AWARDS INDIVIDUAL AWARD WINNERS House Director of the Year Victoria Brown, MIT Edward B. Taylor Advisor of the Year Annie Carlson Welch, NC State Outstanding Greek Advisor Award Mia McCurdy, Minnesota Interfraternalism Recognition Award Bill O’Dell, Alpha Chi Rho Fraternity House Corporation Volunteer of the Year Gary Vidmar, Cincinnati ’76 Rookie District Chief of the Year Steven Cruz, Florida International ’12 Regional Chief of the Year Wayne Huddleston, Texas at Arlington ’98 District Chief of the Year Rick Caras, GMI/EMI ’78 Jerry M. Blesch General Secretary Leadership Award Trenton Kilbey, Georgia Tech ’15
CHAPTER AWARDS WINNERS North Dakota Award for Chapter Publications Central Michigan, Florida* Website Excellence Award Central Florida, Cincinnati* H.H. Stephenson Junior Award for Historical Preservation and Research Columbia, Kansas* Charles Henry Hardin Leadership Development Awards Arkansas, Central Florida, Drexel, Florida (Highest Overall Participants: 23 men), Florida International, Florida State, High Point, Kentucky, Kettering B, Ohio, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, San Diego, Texas at Arlington, UC Davis, UC Irvine, Utah, Westminster, Wichita State, WPI (Highest Overall Percentage: 50%) John Holt Duncan Service Award, Best Annual Project Johns Hopkins, Columbia* John Holt Duncan Service Award, Best Ongoing Project Oklahoma, Kentucky* Virginia Tech Award for Scholastic Achievement Columbia (Highest Overall GPA: 3.665), Furman (Most Improved GPA: .238 increase), Kentucky, Kettering A, Miami (Fla.), Missouri, Northeastern, Oklahoma State, UCLA, Utah, Virginia, Wittenberg Outstanding Recruitment Award Columbia, Kettering A, Michigan State, TCU, Truman State
New Member Education Award UC San Diego, TCU* Campus Involvement Award Columbia, Kentucky, Kettering B, Minnesota, MIT, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, Southern Illinois, UCLA, Wabash, Wittenberg Outstanding Alumni Relations Award Cornell, San Diego* Advisory Team of the Year Award Ohio Excellence in Risk Management Award Cincinnati, Connecticut, John Carroll, Johns Hopkins, Kentucky, Northeastern, San Diego, TCU, Truman State, Utah Most Improved Chapter Award: Texas at Arlington New Song Competition Award TCU, UC Irvine* Shelby L. Molter Song Competition Award Oklahoma State, Cincinnati*, Pittsburgh* Whitman Choral Cup Lawrence, Kansas* Sons of the Dragon Club Award (100% chapter participation in the Club or 74 or more men joined) Denver, Florida International, High Point, Kentucky (100% Participation for the 6th year and Most Members Joined: 131 members), Kettering A, Minnesota, North Dakota, Pacific, Southern Illinois, Texas A&M (Most Members Joined: 112), Westminster
SISSON AWARD WINNERS The Francis H. Sisson Award is presented to those who maintain high standards and inspire total chapter participation, cooperation and involvement. (Total number received to date listed in parenthesis): Case Western Reserve (11), Centre (8), Cincinnati (16), Colorado Mines (16), Columbia (4), Connecticut (10), Cornell (14), Dayton (2), Denver (2), Eastern Kentucky (7), Florida (13), Georgia (21), Idaho (16), John Carroll (4), Kansas (19), Kansas State (27), Kentucky (4), Kettering A (2), Kettering B (7), Maine (7), Michigan State (6), Minnesota (17), Nebraska (18), North Carolina (6), Oklahoma (14), Pittsburgh (1), Saint Louis (7), San Diego (9), SMU (6), TCU (2), Texas A&M (11), Toronto (13), Truman State (16), UCLA (5), Utah (9), Wabash (12), Washington in St. Louis (15), Wisconsin-Oshkosh (8)
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KNOX AWARD WINNERS The Knox Award is the highest honor a chapter can earn, raising the bar in ritual, leadership, community service, campus involvement and singing. (Total number received to date listed in parenthesis): Case Western Reserve (7), Centre (2), Cincinnati (3), Columbia (1), Cornell (4), Dayton (2), Florida (2), Georgia (7), Idaho (6), Kansas State (9), Kentucky (2), Kettering B (5), Nebraska (13), Oklahoma (6), San Diego (6), SMU (3), TCU (2), Texas A&M (2), Toronto (1), Truman State (10), UCLA (2), Utah (2), Washington in St. Louis (4), Wisconsin-Oshkosh (1)
BOARD TRANSITIONS Outgoing Fraternity Board of Trustees Mike Okenquist, Villanova ’94; Jeff Newton, Miami ’77 Incoming Fraternity Board of Trustees General Fraternity Treasurer Lynn Maddox, Georgia Tech ’64 (three-year term extension); Vice President Ben Swartz, Connecticut ’05 (three-year term extension); Vice President Mike Wortman, Nebraska ’70 Outgoing Foundation Board of Directors Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56; Vince Mikolay, Bethany ’00; Foundation Treasurer John Stebbins, Emory ’92
BANQUET EMCEES Welcoming Banquet Bill Lowry, Kenyon ’56 Awards Luncheon John Stebbins, Emory ’92 Celebration Banquet Mike Okenquist, Villanova ’94
BETA SHARK TANK PARTICIPANTS Entreprenuer Panelists Dean Akers, Florida ’74 (CEO of Hemwell America; Vincent Mikolay, Bethany ’00 (Partner and CBO at Zuma Ventures); Geoff Mason, Duke ’63 (25-time Emmy-winning sports television producer) Panel Moderator Mike Feinstein, MIT ’82
GOLD LEVEL SPONSOR Billhighway
*Denotes honorable mention.
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