Volunteer Spotlight

Clay Skurdal, Foundation Trustee and Regional Adviser

Clay Skurdal (Montana State ’82) was recently elected to the Phi Sigma Kappa Board of Trustees and also serves the Grand Chapter as a Regional Adviser for chapters on the West Coast.

Brother Skurdal’s involvement with the Fraternity came about because of his decision to attend college out of state. Not knowing anyone at Montana State, he decided to go through recruitment and see what the Greek system had to offer. He found the brothers at Zeta Triton Chapter to be friendly and accommodating. They also hosted great social events throughout the recruitment process and had a good reputation on campus.

One of Brother Skurdal’s favorite memories involves weekend adventures. “One of our brothers had purchased an old large truck from Yellowstone Park. We called her Old Yeller. Every fall we would all travel up to Hyalite Canyon outside of Bozeman to cut firewood that we would use in our fireplace to heat in the winter, and we would also chop and sell the wood to make some money for the house. It was a great weekend adventure.”

He went on to note, “I also met my wife when I was in the chapter. She is a Chi Omega, and their house was right across the street from the Phi Sig house. We have now been married for 37 years and if it wouldn’t have been for me living in the Phi Sig house, we probably wouldn’t have met! Brother Skurdal got involved on a volunteer basis because of friendships made. “My time in the Fraternity helped me to stay focused on graduating and taught me many lessons that while I didn’t see them at the time, looking back they were lessons that helped me build the successful career that I have today. I see that impact and I want to make sure that we continue to provide the same opportunities to our young brothers today.”

He explains that Phi Sigma Kappa provides him with a network of brothers around the country and he can find resources when needed. “I may not have known the brother personally, however once I mention that I am also a Phi Sig, we are able to find common ground right away. Being a Phi Sig opened many doors for me as I built my career.” After participating in the Foundation Board meetings and attending the 68th General Convention in Arizona, Brother Skurdal said he can see the vision and the challenging work that the professional staff, the Grand Council, the Foundation, and supportive alumni are doing to make Phi Sigma Kappa a leader in the Greek system.

He said, “It is important that we do all we can to make sure that Phi Sigma Kappa is here for at least another 150 years impacting young men in a positive way.”

Brother Skurdal says he has stayed connected with several brothers over the years. Several years ago, alumni from Zeta Triton created a private group page on social media. He says it has been great to reconnect with so many brothers from the past. The group is even working to bring the Zeta Triton Chapter back to Montana State and hope to have some great news on that front soon.

In his professional life, Brother Skurdal is a managing director/principal at RiskBridge Advisors, an SEC-registered investment adviser for institutions and individuals.

He also serves on the board of Marist Catholic High School and enjoys fishing in his free time. He resides in Eugene, Oregon with his wife, Collette, and children, Kendra, Ian, and Lexie.