Graduate Almanac

Allegheny

| Meadville, PA 5 Frank Steinle (1949) received his Diamond Owl certificate, celebrating 75 years since his initiation.

Ball State

| Muncie, IN

Andy Koenig (2005)

was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to serve a four-year term on the Florida Board of Physical Therapy as Budget Liaison.

Baylor

| Waco, TX

Travis McClain (2011)

recently started a podcast with his friend Trenton Kirklin called The Quick Six. The podcast is about sports and coaching and is hosted by Travis and Trenton, who both work professionally as football coaches. The podcast sometimes features guests but is mainly two coaches talking about life and football. Jeffery Price (1992) was recognized on Barron's 2021 "Top 1,200 Financial Advisors" list and Forbes's 2021 "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list. This is the 9th consecutive year Jeff has been named to the Barron’s list and the 4th consecutive year he has been recognized by Forbes. Jeff and his son, Connor (2020), are both graduate brothers of the Kappa Chapter.

California Los Angeles

| Los Angeles, CA

Emmett Loverde's (1989)

film Beauty, Brains and Personality was selected for the 2021 Kapow Intergalactic Film Festival. The official (virtual) screen time was on February 25.

Chapman

| Orange, CA 6 Mark Jackson (2012) and Omega Chi Purple Legionnaire Steve Caine (New Mexico 1997) met Famous Fiji Rob Riggle (Kansas 1992) at the 2021 Waste Management

Phoenix Open in February. Rob congratulated the Omega Chi Chapter for raising $250,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation over the last few years. Brother Riggle played in the Annexus Pro-Am and the Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory, where celebrities compete at a shot to win $1 million for a charity of their choice. The Shot at Glory took place on the 16th hole after the Pro-Am. Pictured (L-R): Mark Jackson, Rob Riggle and Steve Caine. for lunch. They gathered in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Chapter's chartering on February 20, 1971. Pictured (L-R): Bruce Ziegler (1971), Chuck DeWitt (1972), Steve Crowe (1972) and Bill Dowdney (1973).

Colorado

Cincinnati

| Cincinnati, OH 6 In February, four of the 31 Founding Fathers of the Chi Omicron Chapter met in Naples, Florida, | Boulder, CO

Rick Taylor (1967, Idaho

1986) recently released his first novel, Ballad of the Blacksmith's Son. Rick is retired, but he continues to write freelance for regional and international boating magazines, and he also wrote a column for a local paper. In 1988, Rick won the Durrance Award as the Fraternity’s most outstanding Purple Legionnaire while he was teaching ROTC at the University of Idaho.

Colorado College

| Colorado Springs, CO 5 James Milmoe (1949) received his Diamond Owl certificate, celebrating the 75th anniversary of his initiation into Phi Gamma Delta.

Columbia

| New York, NY

Eric Drath (1993)

directed Macho: The Hector Camacho Story, which aired on Showtime. Eric is a two-time Emmy Award winner for sports documentaries 30 for 30 (2014) and Cornered: A Life Caught in the Ring (2010).

DePauw

| Greencastle, IN Phil Thomas (1986)

Mu Iota Celebrates 100 Years

By Don Shelton (Idaho 1976)

Graduate brothers couldn’t travel to their chapter house at 600 University Avenue to celebrate Mu Iota’s 100th birthday, so we brought the chapter house to them. Idaho Fijis on March 11 marked a century since their installation as a Phi Gamma Delta chapter with a virtual 100th Anniversary Toast attended by more than 100 graduate and undergraduate brothers. The event was organized after Mu Iota’s 101st Norris Pig Dinner was postponed from March to June 12 due to COVID-19 restrictions. We couldn’t let the big date pass without a proper celebration, though. So exactly 100 years after our installation and first Pig Dinner in Moscow, Idaho, I was one of four graduate brothers who hosted the virtual celebration on Zoom from the living room of the chapter house that has been Mu Iota’s home for 95 years. Undergraduates gathered a few feet away in the dining room for a longawaited formal dinner, with two wide-angle cameras capturing both scenes. BCA Chairman Mitch Sonnen (1986) joined me and Alpha Kappa Epsilon House Corporation officers Dan Dorman (1979) and Dan Harris (1981) in front of our iconic fireplace. Looming above us, a painting of two ships sailing on turbulent waters served as an apt metaphor for our chapter’s remarkable 100-year journey, which is framed by two worldwide pandemics. Mu Iota was chartered on December 30, 1920, and installed March 11, 1921, a year after the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19 killed an estimated 675,000 Americans. Our 100th Norris Pig Dinner drew 508 Fijis and guests on March 7, 2020, making it the largest fraternity gathering in U of I history, but the COVID-19 pandemic closed campus to live classes a week later and shut down most gatherings for the past year. That didn’t stop Idaho Fijis from celebrating virtually. I kicked off the night off with a brief history presentation based on research and interviews for a chapter history I’m writing, which is due to be published in June. Don Eddy (1955), whose father Allan Eddy (1919) was one of Mu Iota’s “First 46” initiates, raised the graduate toast to our 1,894 initiated brothers, living and dead, and John Mansanarez (2022) led the undergraduate toast to all brothers who built our proud legacy and the young men who kept Mu Iota open during the current pandemic. Nick Sassaman (2022) delivered an update on the house and answered graduate brothers’ questions. We also met 13 new members, gave out undergraduate awards and scholarships and invited brothers to share memories and sentiments in an “open mike” segment. The two-hour program finished with breakout rooms for each era. One brother checked in from Ireland, where it was 2:00 a.m. Bjorn Bergvall (1962), an 82-year-old former Olympic gold medalist in sailing, watched and listened into the wee hours from Norway. Time and distance didn’t matter that night. What came through was how proud we were to be Mu Iota Fijis.

was named the 2021 Outstanding Middle School Educator by the Indiana Music Educators Association in January 2021.

Georgia Tech

| Atlanta, GA

J. Greg Robbins (1968)

recently became a new novelist with the release of his book, Unrestricted Access. He is scheduled to release another book in 2021. For more information, visit www.jgrobbinsnovels.com.

Hanover

| Hanover, IN Several brothers from the class of 1995 gathered on Zoom to celebrate their 25th reunion. They met for an hour to catch up and to enjoy a bourbon tasting. The brothers who attended the event were Paul Clark (1995), Brian Daniel (1995), Kevin DeFosset (1995), Josh Hammond (1995), Jonathan Ricketts (1995), Matthew Sackett (1995) and Bill Zorn (1995). 3 Jared Revlett (2012) was named one of the National School Public Relations Association's "Top 35 School PR Professionals Under 35." Jared currently serves as public information officer of the Owensboro, Kentucky Public Schools. In February, Mike Deetsch (1998) was named the Emma Leah Bippus Senior Director of Learning & Interpretation at the Toledo Museum of Art.

Idaho

| Moscow, ID 3 Patrick Ngalamulume (2017) was sworn in as an attorney in October 2020. Becoming a lawyer was a dream of Patrick's since he immigrated to the U.S. from Zambia 13 years ago. To learn more about Patrick, read the spring 2017 magazine cover story at www. phigam.org/Magazine.

Kansas

| Lawrence, KS

Rob Riggle (1992)

played in the 2021 Waste Management Phoenix Open Annexus Pro-Am and the Phoenix Suns Charities Shot at Glory. The Phoenix Suns Charities Shot is a competition where celebrities take a shot at winning $1 million for a charity of their choice, and it took place on the iconic 16th hole after the Pro-Am. Bill Quatman (1980), senior vice president and general counsel of Burns & McDonnell in Kansas City, Missouri, has been awarded the Brunelleschi Lifetime Achievement Award from the Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA). The award honors DBIA members who have exhibited originality, vision and breadth over the course of their professional life, with 25 years or more of strong and well-documented commitment to design-build project delivery.

Knox

| Galesburg, IL 6 In October 2020, the Gamma Deuteron Chapter hosted a virtual Homecoming event to give

graduate brothers a chance to connect and share stories.

Louisiana State

| Baton Rouge, LA 5 On April 3, about a dozen graduate brothers and their families traveled to visit Jessie Hamilton, Beta Rho Chapter's former cook, at her home in Baker, Louisiana. For her 74th birthday, brothers surprised Jessie with the money to pay off her mortgage. Jessie worked as the Chapter's cook for over 14 years, but she recently worked two jobs at the Baton Rouge airport. As the Chapter's cook, Jessie formed a very special bond with the brothers. She gave brothers rides to the grocery store and the doctor, and she was always a warm presence which left a mark on many brothers, even 30 years later. At the beginning of the pandemic, Andrew Fusaiotti (1992), who has kept in touch with Jessie over the past 30 years, called Jessie to check on her. Andrew was sad to learn that Jessie was still working two jobs at her age. He decided to ask his brothers to help raise money to pay Jessie's mortgage, enabling her to retire. Andrew and 90 Beta Rho brothers raised $51,765, which included $45,000 for Jessie's mortgage and $6,675 to spend on herself. Brothers called the day "Jessie Hamilton Day."

Maine

| Orono, ME While on a ski trip in Beavercreek, Colorado, in 2020, Luke Nevermann (Wisconsin 2014) and

Johnny Koremenos

(Wisconsin 2013) met

Andrew Bradford (1987)

while playing a game of darts. As they were talking, they realized they had a shared connection - Phi Gamma Delta. The group spent three days together skiing, and they decided to continue this tradition for many years to come.

Maryland

| College Park, MD Rolf Buff (2005) recently published his first book, Go UP the Mountain, available in paperback and eBook on Amazon.

Minnesota

| Minneapolis, MN

Tyrel Nelson (2002)

recently published his new book, Travels and Tribulations, which is available in paperback and eBook formats.

Missouri

| Columbia, MO 4 Andrew Carter (2013) was recently named to Ingram's Magazine "20 in Their Twenties for 2020" list as an emerging leader in the Kansas City area. In 2017, Andrew founded Let It Fly Media (LIFM) with his partner, Ben Walnick. Previously, Andrew worked as a broadcast journalist in sports and news for over four years. He also won the 2016 Heartland Chapter Regional Emmy Award for Weekend Newscast - Medium Markets.

North Alabama

| Florence, AL Matt Axley (2008) and

Dave Oechslein (Penn

State 2004) work together as flight instructors for the

U.S. Navy, teaching new aviators the T-45C Goshaw. The two first met when Dave was Matt's flight instructor in the Navy's E-2C Hawkeye.

Oregon State

| Corvallis, OR

Kolby Owens (2019)

was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Marine Corps in March. Kolby also served the Fraternity as Archon Councilor from 2017-2019.

Penn State

| State College, PA

Matt Axley (North

Alabama 2008) and Dave Oechslein (2004) work together as flight instructors for the U.S. Navy, teaching new aviators the T-45C Goshaw. The two first met when Dave was Matt's flight instructor in the Navy's E-2C Hawkeye.

Purdue

| West Lafayette, IN 4 Lambda Iota hosted their Pig Dinner on Zoom this year. There were 200 brothers, including 80 graduate brothers, in attendance, and Mitch

Daniels (Faculty Initiate

2013), President of Purdue University and former Governor of Indiana, was the keynote speaker.

Sewanee

| Sewanee, TN 6 Dan Scott (1950) (left) received his Diamond Owl certificate, which celebrates 75 years of membership.

Phillip Smith (1983)

(right) traveled to Dan's assisted living facility in Murfreesboro, TN, to present him with the certificate. Not only are Phillip and Dan connected as chapter brothers, but they also know each other through family. Dan is the fatherin-law of Phillip's older brother, Rick.

Southwest Florida Graduate Chapter

| Naples, FL The Southwest Florida Graduate Chapter recently announced the Edward A. More II - Southwest Florida Graduate Chapter Scholarship, named in memory of Edward A. More, II (Missouri 1939).

This scholarship is available to any undergraduate brother who has a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA and is in good standing in an active chapter/colony in the state of Florida. The scholarship recipient will be selected based on the Fraternity's values of Friendship, Knowledge, Service, Morality & Excellence. Jewell College's Radical Inclusivity Task Force in an alumni capacity. Jack will serve a two-year term on the task force along with two WJC undergraduates, including Chapter Treasurer Evan Sanders (2022).

Wisconsin

William Jewell

| Liberty, MO Jack Still (2021), recent graduate brother and former Chapter President, was asked to serve on William | Madison, WI 6 While on a ski trip in Beavercreek, Colorado, in 2020, Luke Nevermann (2014) and Johnny Koremenos (2013) met

Andrew Bradford (Maine

1987) while playing a game of darts. As they were talking, they realized they had a shared connection - Phi Gamma Delta. They spent three days together skiing, and they decided to continue this tradition for many years to come. Pictured (L-R): Luke Nevermann, Andrew Bradford and Johnny Koremenos during their ski trip to Vail in February 2021.

Wittenberg (Sig Fiji Alumni Association)

| Springfield, OH 5 The Sig Fiji Alumni Association's Board of Trustees held its first-ever virtual board meeting over Zoom. The Association was founded in 1911.

WPI

| Worcester, MA The Pi Iota Chapter at WPI held their Pig Dinner on April 24. This year, the event was adapted to a hybrid structure, with some brothers participating on Zoom while others were able to safely gather in person following state guidelines. t

HOUSING

2021 Housing Conference

On January 23, 2021, the 1848 Housing Committee hosted its first standalone Housing Conference. This virtual conference aimed to provide additional resources and information to house corporation members. The Housing Conference included a “State of the Fraternity” address by Archon President Nic Loiacono (Illinois 1974), a keynote speech by Dave Schreck (Kansas State 1969), and eight breakout sessions that attendees could choose from. Seventy-six attendees participated in the fourhour conference. The event was a great success, and our house corporation members were able to take home new ideas and practices to continue to strengthen the operation of their facilities. The conference sessions were recorded and are available on the Fraternity’s YouTube channel.

What Is 1848 Housing?

1848 Housing was created by the Archons to provide housing programming for the Fraternity. Its goal and purpose are to support the Fraternity’s efforts by providing resources and assistance to promote competitive living environments for our undergraduate brothers. While a chapter house is not essential to a positive fraternity experience, we believe that housing is an important aspect of fraternity life and quality, safe housing is important to the longterm success of the Fraternity and its chapters.

1848 Housing has created extensive resources to support house corporations, including those related to facility management & operations, finances, safety & security, fundraising and graduate communications. Learn more at www.phigam.org/Housing. t

Conference Recap

By the Numbers

76 Attendees Representing 38 Chapters

Preferred Partners

Columns Fundraising CSL Management Holmes Murphy Insurance Upper Crust Food Service

Breakout Sessions

• Five Things You Can Do to Improve

Your HC in 2021 • Fundraising in 2021: The New Realities • Getting Started with a Reserve Study • Reducing Liability & Exposure • Roundtable Discussions • Ten Reasons to Outsource Your

Kitchen Operations • Why Using a Third-Party Management

Company Makes Sense in 2021

All session recordings are available at www.youtube.com/user/ PhiGamHeadquarters.