alumnus spotlight: JACK CASPER
SAVE THE DATE!
Jack Casper (AU 605) came to Drexel in 1963 after receiving a scholarship to play baseball, and the attraction of the co-op program. He decided to major in accounting because he felt that—no matter what—he would have to understand accounting to succeed professionally. Almost immediately, he was drawn by the leadership shown by the men of Pi Kappa Phi on campus and decided to rush.
ALUMNI GOLF OUTING
FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2009 TURTLE CREEK GOLF CLUB, LIMERICK, PA Please keep the date available, as the outing is sure to be a fun event! More info will be posted to www.pikappau.com and mailed out as the event gets closer.
SPRING ALUMNI MEETING
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2009 The Spring Alumni meeting will be followed by a barbecue and an open house.
alumni initiates Harold J. Coster Jr. Harry is the father of the chapter’s founding Historian Michael Coster. He expressed much gratitude for the opportunity to join Pi Kappa Phi as an alumni brother. As the first of seven children, and one of many first cousins, he understands the importance of family and the tight bond that brings brothers together. He looks forward to becoming an active alumni member. He works in the insurance software development field and has held jobs at MetLife, Kemper, and The Mercer Insurance Group, among others. Harry grew up in the New York City area and has been a lifelong Yankees and Giants fan. Currently, he lives Flemington, NJ with his wife and an incredibly happy dog. In addition to his son Michael, he also has a daughter who is in her first year of college.
“At the University and in the fraternity I learned leadership skills that have served me all my life. My goal is to help pass that along.” Once he became a brother, Jack held the position of treasurer, becoming the archon shortly thereafter. Outside the fraternity, Jack was heavily involved on campus in sports and clubs—he was even on the varsity baseball team. He was on the Drexel Business Team, played IFC football and bowled. Jack graduated in 1968 and went on to earn his M.B.A. at Oklahoma State University. While working toward is master’s, he helped start the Gamma Upsilon chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at Oklahoma State. He finished his degree in 1970, the same year he married his wife, Suzy. Jack and Suzy have two kids, Dana and John. Dana is now a pharmacist and John works at JPMorgan Chase & Co. In addition to his two children, he also has a granddaughter. From 1970 until 1976, Jack worked at Deere & Company. He began as an internal auditor but was soon promoted to finance director and then assistant controller. Working with Deere & Company, Jack and his family were able to travel the world, including stints in Australia and Thailand. In 1976, Jack left
Jack is pictured here with Brothers Mike Imms, Keith Sheppard, and Tony Noce. He was one of six men to be inducted into the AY Hall of Fame at the Re-Chartering and 75th Anniversary Banquet.
Deere & Company to become vice president of Garney Companies, a privately held construction, farming and ranching company. He worked there for five years before accepting a job with Gang-Nail Systems, Inc., which is a world leader in metal connector plates and roof and wall engineering software. He was the vice president and chief financial officer for four years before being promoted to the senior vice president. His next position was for Petrolite Corporation as the VP and CFO. He left three years later to become president and CEO for Casper Capital Management, his management and consulting firm. Jack currently has his own business, Jack Casper & Associates, which does consulting work for several private equity firms. Despite having to travel around the world
for work, Jack always stayed close with his brothers in Pi Kappa Phi. In 2002 he and his wife established the John M. Casper Endowed Scholarship Fund for students at the LeBow College of Business, with preference for brothers of Pi Kappa Phi. Jack also teamed up with a fellow Pi Kappa Phi from another chapter to set up an international scholars program—a program to help undergraduate members of Pi Kappa Phi to study abroad. The first of four of these scholarships was given to a brother at the University of Penn last year. Brother Casper exemplifies the meaning of being a lifelong brother. This was acknowledged as he was inducted into the Alpha Upsilon Hall of Fame. Alpha Upsilon’s undergraduate and alumni chapters at Drexel University would like to thank Jack for this unerring support over the past 40 years.
Mike Olsen Olsen recently became the Northeast research and development Software Engineering Manager for Lockheed Martin, Information Systems & Global Services, Defense Systems. He is based out of Valley Forge, Pa.
Stan Schuck Schuck just finished his first year as president of the Main Line Chamber of Commerce, a 1,400-member chamber that covers parts of Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties of suburban Philadelphia. In August 2007, Schuck retired from Verizon after 27 years.
alumni updates Jack Campbell Cambell is retired and getting ready for his 47th anniversary with Gloria. One of Campbell’s two sons, Brant A Campbell, was a member of Alpha Upsilon chapter while at Drexel and now lives in Florida.
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John Richard McCrohan III John is a skilled electrician in the I.B.E.W. Local 654 and has worked in this field for many years. John is a father to two sons, one daughter, and is happily married to his wife Susan McCrohan. John was born and raised in Pennsylvania where he currently resides in Glen Mills. Ever a strong and hardworking role model for his children, he has not only spent a large amount of time working to support his son’s college careers but has even joined a brotherhood in which his youngest has become a member. John leads by choice, so now it is our honor and pleasure to recognize him as a part of the Alpha Upsilon chapter and the brotherhood of Pi Kappa Phi. Rod Monkman Rod came into this fraternity through his son Ryan Monkman. His dedication to helping Ryan succeed in the chapter and school got the attention of the members of the chapter. The most notable support came when Ryan participated in Push America’s Journey of Hope. He helped with fundraising and kept Ryan motivated throughout the three month trip across America. Rod represents the ideals of Pi Kappa Phi through his consistent support of all of the members of the Alpha Upsilon chapter and for that he was brought into the brotherhood. Richard Francis Condon Richard is a father of four and currently resides in Hopkinton, Ma. Though he lives in Massachusetts his professional career has taken him all over the world. In recent years he has worked everywhere from New Hampshire and Rhode Island to Florida and even as far as Texas. Each new territory come new experiences, which have included video conferencing, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and e-learning. He currently works as the CEO and Chairman of the Board for Fortress Technologies, but still manages to dedicate his life to his children. Many may consider him a man of few words, but there is great wisdom behind his expressions. To sum it up, Richard Condon is a great businessman, father, friend, and mentor.
AU undergrads establish business committee The Alpha Upsilon undergraduate chapter is creating a Business Committee in order to help student members with their professional goals. We are asking alumni to help us by: - Providing the chapter industry tips in your field - Informing the chapter of current/future job openings, Opportunities, and internships - Presenting to the chapter about professional advise, lessons, etc. - Providing any other help and/or advice The mission of the Business Committee is “To give brothers the skills and opportunities to find the best suitable job.” The committee has identified five objectives: (1)To train brothers in ways which will enhance their professional careers; (2)To identify current hiring trends; (3) To recruit better caliber men to Pi Kappa Phi; (4) To promote the name of Pi Kappa Phi in the business world; and (5) To provide an easier way for Pi Kappa Phi alumni to help undergraduate brothers. If you are interested in helping with Alpha Upsilon’s Business Committee, please contact Oleksandr Levtchenko at oleksandr.levtchenko@gmail.com or (845) 796-8583.
the co-op experience The reason most Drexel students will give pertaining to why they chose to come to this university will almost always be the Co-op program. As you all have experienced, Co-op gives undergraduate’s unbelievable experience and opportunities in the business world. The reason this program is successful is because of each student’s impact on the company they work for. While the student gains experience in the area of their study, a company gets a valuable young asset with a great work ethic. In most cases jobs are found through the Co-op program’s job pool, which is a very successful program. While this is consistent and usually very easy, there is nothing personal in it. The undergraduates are working on getting a job database of their own, consisting of our fraternity’s remarkable alumni. The goal of this is to give our brothers the chance to gain working experience by working alongside an alumnus. One undergraduate has already gotten that chance, and it has turned out to be a very successful opportunity. Steve Markley, Director of Estimating at Hunter Roberts Construction Group, hired Ryan Monkman this fall to intern as an estimator. Ryan will be the first to say that it has been a great experience. The chapter hopes his opportunity will be the first of many successful Co-op appointments.
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