Phi Kappa Tau’s selection of Todd Marallen as the 11th Chief Executive Officer caps a comprehensive executive search conducted by the National Council over twelve weeks. A CEO search subcommittee of the National Council worked closely with the Maneva Group, a recognized executive search firm, throughout the process.
Hundreds of candidate profiles were considered, and over 200 candidates received personal outreach. The subcommittee managed an extensive interview process, conducting panel and on-on-one interviews. The full National Council met three candidates for in-person interviews and later voted to select Todd.
What we looked for
Phi Kappa Tau conducted an intentionally broad search, open to members and non-members, and welcoming of candidates from education, Greek life, nonprofits, and business, among other backgrounds. The position profile called for a growth-minded, relational leader who can carry out the strategic plan; bring financial discipline to budgeting, forecasting, receivables and reporting; navigate the legal complexities of modern-day Greek life; and coach our staff to operational excellence and professionalism. The fraternity prioritized candidates with ability to work full-time at our Executive Offices in Oxford, Ohio.
The Council’s final selection, Todd Marallen, is an experienced CEO and a recognized business and civic leader in Cincinnati. Read the full announcement here.
Final report
The National Council has published a report detailing the search process.
Read the final CEO search report here.
Below are some FAQ’s on the search:
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The full National Council made the final decision. The CEO search committee of the Council oversaw the search process and conducted earlier stage interviews. The committee was led by National President Michael Lummus and also included National Vice President Mark Scher and National Councilors Jon Hays and Jeff Baird.
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An executive search is a complex, high-stakes, and labor-intensive process. The National Council recognized that the expertise of a specialized executive search firm would be essential to the process, not only to shape the search strategy and source qualified candidates, but also to perform the day-to-day work of the search and to provide expert advice. The committee evaluated four search firms and the Council voted to select the Maneva Group.
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The Maneva Group and the National Council together hosted several forums for members to share their priorities and values. One-on-one and small group sessions were held the with staff, past volunteer leaders including Past National Presidents, the Undergraduate Advisory Board, and the current National Council.
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The search was intentionally broad. The job description was shared with the full Phi Kappa Tau membership multiple times via e-mail and social media and was published on the website. The Maneva Group publicized our CEO profile in online portals and job boards, both general (such as LinkedIn) and industry-specific. Maneva elicited referrals from our members and through referral calls with industry leaders. Further, Maneva reached out directly to executive leaders in the Cincinnati area that fit the profile.
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The committee reviewed resumes, applications, and LinkedIn profiles of candidates during the first weeks of the search. The Maneva Group conducted two rounds of initial interviews for candidates that met our stated qualifications.
The committee then conducted full panel interviews with nine qualified candidates, and National President Lummus conducted several detailed one-on-on follow-up interviews on the committee’s behalf. The full National Council met with three candidates for in-person interviews at its meeting in Charlotte on October 23-25, 2026.
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The Maneva Group and members of the committee made several written and verbal reference checks, commissioned background and credit checks, and performed other due diligence as appropriate.
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Early in the process, the full National Council committed to hiring the best person to lead the organization. Many factors went into the selection process, and candidates were evaluated on seven dimensions: mission & fraternal fit, leadership & judgment, growth & strategy execution, financial stewardship, operational management, people leadership & development, and communication & presence. Both members and non-members applied and were interviewed. While Phi Kappa Tau members benefited from institutional knowledge and first-hand organizational experience, after a rigorous selection and interview process, the National Council selected the applicant that best met our criteria for leading us into the future.