The New National Council

Phi Kappa Tau is pleased to introduce the newly elected members of the National Council.

National President Dale Holland, Kent State ’87

A 1987 initiate of Beta Mu at Kent State University, Dale was introduced to the Phi Tau Hall of Fame in 2006 for his distinguished career in the Air Force.

Dale is a retired Air Force Colonel with 25-years of Department of Defense experience. His last active-duty assignment was as the 89th Airlift Wing Vice Commander at Joint Base Andrews, MD. Dale served as a navigator on Air Force One from 2001-2007 supporting President George W. Bush and the First Family and was honored to serve President Bush and President Barack Obama as the Deputy Director of Operations at the White House Military Office.

He is currently the VP of Business Development at Satcom Direct and resides in Bonita Springs, FL. Dale has been married to his college sweetheart, Su Smith, for over two years. He has a son, Sid, and a daughter, Alaina.

National Vice President Barry Mask, Auburn ’78

A 1978 initiate, Barry served as President, Rush Chairman, and President of the Auburn IFC as an undergraduate. He was the first “Aubie the Tiger” mascot for the school. As an alumnus, he served on the chapter’s Board of Governors and Housing Corporation.

Barry had a career in governmental affairs, grassroots campaign organizing, and PAC fundraising. He served two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives before moving into marketing for financial institutions.

Barry has transferred his creative marketing and business development skills into recruitment tactics as National Recruitment Advisor. He served on the Phi Kappa Tau National Council from 2002-2008. He and his wife, Jill, live in the Auburn area.

National Councilor Jon Hays, Old Dominion ’07

Jon Hays comes to the National Council with a diverse professional background. He started his career by serving four years in the Marine Corps and later the Virginia Army National Guard and the West Virginia National Guard. After completing his military service, Jon initiated at the Gamma Tau chapter of Phi Tau. Jon attributes joining later than a typical member to his understanding of non-traditional students.

Ricky Bailey (left) and Jon Hays (right)

Upon graduation, Jon attended law school at West Virginia University. He currently operates out of his law firm and runs Hays Enterprise LLC, a consulting firm for the government. He lives in Northern Virginia.

National Councilor Ricky Bailey, Florida State ’03

As an undergraduate, Ricky was a Founding Father of the Beta Iota chapter at Florida State. Since graduation, he has served as a Chapter Advisor and Board of Governors Chair. Ricky helped establish the Undergraduate Advisory Board during the 59th National Convention in Denver and has been a facilitator for Presidents Academy, Leadership Academy, and Regional Conferences. Ricky served as Domain Director before becoming a National Councilor.

Ricky already served two years on the National Council after his appointment by the Council to a vacancy in 2018. At this convention, his role as Councilor was voted on by the body. Ricky is currently the Business Manager for the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services. He lives in Nashville. He previously worked at Florida State University, where he obtained both his BS and MBA.

These gentlemen join the rest of the National Council: Buzz Green, Ole Miss ’66, Warren Mattox, Nebraska Wesleyan ’69, Ray Carlos, Cal State Fullerton ’01, Michael French, Kent State 88, Michael Lummus, Belmont ’06, and Tim Hudson, Truman State ’97.

Chapter Services Announces Fall 2021 Billing Structure

From the Chapter Services Team:

Phi Kappa Tau’s Chapter Services team stands ready to support you and your chapter during this time of rapid change. We are at the ready to answer questions, address concerns, and develop a plan of action alongside you to be prepared for your returns to campus.

After decreasing our chapter dues to best accommodate chapters throughout COVID-19 and its effect on the 2020-2021 Academic year, we will be adjusting dues effective this Fall to reflect increased operational costs. Please see below for the adjusted billing structure: 

One-time:

• Affiliation Fee: $250 (for new associates only)

• Total: $250

Per Semester:

• Member Fees (per member)

  • Member Dues: $87.50

  • Housing: $7.50

  • Insurance: $160

• Total: $255

• Chapter Fees (per chapter)

  • Chapter Dues: $500

  • Conference Pool: $300

    • Convention

  • NIC Dues: $176

• Total: $976

The Fall bill will be due September 15.

To download a PDF of this information click here.

Please be advised that this increase will still be less than the dues rate prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. With this move, it is our hope that we will be able to provide all necessary support to our chapters while still being accommodating to the lingering effects of 2020. 

If you have any questions, please contact your chapter’s Success Manager or the Director of Chapter Services Brandon Lewis at blewis@phikappatau.org. 

Upsilon Wins the 2021 Maxwell Award

No strangers to bearing a mark of distinction, Upsilon chapter left Oxford, Ohio, with their eighth Roland Maxwell Award win in the bag.

Upsilon boasts a 57-man chapter, 157% larger than the campus average. Their chapter GPA is a 3.56 and last year they recorded 2,400 service hours – 42 per man – and raised over $4,5000 for philanthropic causes.

Upsilon fosters this successful environment by focuses on new-member education, recruiting members they believe reflect the values of Phi Kappa Tau, and pushing brothers to make the most of their collegiate experience.

“Every man of Upsilon finds their passions, their callings, and their purpose. Beyond the Borradaile challenge, the men of Upsilon are dedicated to bettering themselves as individuals so they can learn, lead, and serve better than before,” Upsilon said. “Being a member of Phi Kappa Tau is to challenge one’s ideas, develop exceptional capabilities, and make positive commitments to themselves and those around them.”

Dallas Jones Wins 2021 Shideler Award

Jones and his parents in Oxford, OH

Dallas Jones, Nebraska Wesleyan ’17, is the winner of the 2021 William H. Shideler Award!

The Fraternity’s highest undergraduate honor, the Shideler award is presented annually to the most outstanding graduating senior of Phi Kappa Tau. The award memorializes Honored Founder William H. Shideler, Miami ’06.

Jones has been an extremely active member since his initiation in 2017. He’s held positions as President, Vice President, and Social Chair. He has attended Presidents Academy, Regional Conferences, Leadership Academy, Convention, Conclave, and a Building Men of Character Retreat.

“I have given every ounce of effort I have to my chapter. Since associating my first semester on campus, I knew that Phi Kappa Tau was home. I wanted to get involved early and stay involved throughout the duration of my four years,” Jones said in his essay.

His freshman year, Jones earned a 3.75 GPA to make it on the Deans List and raise the Upsilon chapter GPA. He organized three successful formals, hosted socials with every Greek chapter on campus, and underwent a massive communication effort to collect emergency information such as allergies and contact numbers. He was elected the most outstanding freshman based on academic achievements, campus involvement, and commitment to the values of the fraternity.

In his sophomore year, Jones earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. He was elected Vice President where he assisted with chapter operations, took the lead role within the executive committee during recruitment, and added 25 new brothers. With his help, Upsilon was selected for a Founders Four chapter the next summer.

As a sophomore, Jones also took a lead role in house updates such as new computers, chairs, vacuums, furniture, and other improvements. He launched a capital campaign for the chapter by creating a committee to put together a master plan for what their backyard should look like in the next five years and went through a yearlong process of developing a landscape plan and coming up with a $100,000 donation goal.

Junior Year, Jones earned a 3.95 GPA to make Dean’s list. He was elected president and was involved with developing extensive programming. He led a an executive retreat where brothers grew as a team and prepared to make operations more efficient, such as transparent financial records and better reporting reimbursements.

When COVID hit, Jones’ goal was to keep the chapter financially viable and retain as many members as possible. Under his leadership, the chapter was not only able to reimburse members upwards of $1,500 and maintain strong financial standing but retain 100% of initiated members. They were the only Greek chapter on campus to do so.

Jones’ Shideler speech at Convention

Senior Year, Jones planned and led a Building Men of Character Retreat. He organized an entire month dedicated to brotherhood to raise morale before the end of the semester. He worked within the budget to spend around $3,000 on various events and programming throughout the month of October 2020. Later in the year, Jones served on the Borradaile Committee to help plan the association program for the Spring 2021 semester.

Now, Jones continues to serve as an advisor for the new executive board and help organize the campus and national awards to give his brothers the credit they deserve.

“I truly believe Phi Kappa Tau is a better chapter now than it was four years ago when I first associated. I have so many meaningful memories and lessons learned that I will never forget. I will always be grateful for the opportunities PKT has given me and the deep trust my chapter has shown me over the years,” Jones said.

Congratulations, Dallas!

Graduate Nominating Committee Announces National Council Slate for 2021

From the report of the Graduate Nominating Committee:

“The Graduate Nominating Committee is pleased to submit a slate of proposed nominees for National Vice President and National Council ahead of the 2021 National Convention in Oxford, Ohio. We were charged with recommending three nominees for Graduate Positions, as defined in the Graduate Nominating Policy (the Policy). Specifically, we were charged with recommending one nominee for the office of National Vice President and two nominees for the office National Council, one each for the two vacancies to be filled at the upcoming Convention.

Our recommended slate is as follows: Barry Mask for the office of National Vice President; and Ricky Bailey and Jon Hays for the office of National Council.”

Voting to confirm the slate will take place at the 64th National Convention this weekend July 23-25.

To read the full report by the Graduate Nominating Committee click here.

Barry Mask, Auburn '78

Barry is slated for National Vice President

Ricky Bailey, Florida State '03

Ricky is slated for a term on the National Council

Jon Hays, Old Dominion '07

Jon is slated for a term on the National Council

Alpha Eta Wins 2021 Sonny Strange Recruitment Award

Alpha Eta Chapter at the University of Florida are your 2021 Sonny Strange Recruitment Award winners!

The Sonny Strange Award is presented to the chapter with the top recruitment, retention, and the highest percentage of brothers initiated.

Despite all the difficulties of last year, Alpha Eta recruited 38 associates with an 82% retention rate. The group will receive their award at Convention.

The Sonny Strange Award is named for Walter “Sonny” Strange, a 1970 initiate of Alpha Lambda chapter at Auburn University who served as National President from 1989-1993

Gamma Wins 2021 Paul Newman Award

Gamma volunteering at SeriousFun’s Flying Horse Farms

We are pleased to announce that Gamma chapter at Ohio State University are the 2021 recipients of the Paul Newman Award!

The Paul Newman award is presented to the chapter that raises the highest dollar amount to benefit the SeriousFun Children’s Network. This year, the life-changing honor belongs to Gamma.

The group will receive their award at the 64th National Convention at the end of the month

Congratulations!

Chi Alumnus Coaches in College World Series

Elliott Avent, North Carolina State ’75, recently coached North Carolina State in the 2021 College World Series.

Avent is in his 25th year as NC State’s baseball head coach. In February 2020, he has surpassed more than 1,1000 career wins – one of only 11 active coaches to achieve the distinction. His overall record at that time was 1,113-744.

Last Thursday, Avent was named 021 ABCA/ATEC Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year.

From North Carolina State’s baseball page:

Avent's 24 years in Raleigh have created a legacy of victories and of individual and collective achievement:

• 889 career victories

• 18 NCAA regionals 

• 4 NCAA Super Regionals

• 34 All-Americans 

• 7 of the 9 first-team All-Americans in the program's 117-year history 

• 37 first-team All-ACC selections 

• 83 total All-ACC selections 

• 112 players taken in the MLB draft, 39 since 2014

• ACC and National Coach of the Year in 2003 

• Selected for the USA Baseball coaching staff in 2004 and won a Gold Medal at the World University Games in Chinese Taipei

Since 2003, Avent has elevated NC State baseball to an entirely new level:

• 673 victories -- an average of more than 38 per season

• 15 NCAA Tournament appearances

• A school-record six consecutive NCAA appearances from 2003-08, and nine NCAA appearances in the last 10 seasons

• First-ever NCAA Regional hosted on campus in 2008, second in 2012, third in 2013, fourth in 2016 and fifth in 2018

• Four NCAA Regional championships, three Super Regional appearances, and one Super Regional championship

• 30 All-Americans and 61 All-ACC selections

You can read more about this successful alumnus here.

The 2021 Founders Four

We are pleased to introduce the Founders Four chapters in competition for the 2021 Maxwell Award. These groups worked hard over the past school year to score high in areas such as recruitment, academics, and philanthropy. Each chapter will give a presentation in front of a panel of judges at Convention to determine who will take home the Maxwell Trophy.

The 2020 Founders Four chapters included Delta at Centre College, Gamma at Ohio State, Upsilon Chapter at Nebraska Wesleyan, and – the Maxwell Award Winner - Delta Tau at Cal Poly-Pomona.

Epsilon – Mount Union University

Epsilon chapter is frequently one of Phi Kappa Tau’s highest-preforming chapters. The 42-man chapter is 120% above Mount Union’s chapter average and they report a 3.3 chapter GPA.

This year, Epsilon logged 812 service hours averaging 19.3 per man. They raised over $2,300 in their philanthropic efforts, averaging $56 per man. Epsilon is a huge supporter of SeriousFun’s Flying Horse Farms, a source of much of their philanthropic work.

Upsilon – Nebraska Wesleyan University

Upsilon’s most recent Maxwell Award win was at the 2018 National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. They have been included in the Founders Four every year since.

Upsilon boasts a 57-man chapter, 157% above the average chapter size on campus. They achieved 2,400 service hours averaging 42 per man last year. Their chapter GPA is 3.56, and they raised over $4,500 in various philanthropic efforts this past year.

Beta Lambda – Indiana University

Founded in 1949, Beta Lambda can boast of their excellent recruitment tactics; in 2020 they recruited 62 men and now boast a 127-man group, 106% of the average chapter size on campus.

Beta Lambda’s chapter GPA is 3.46 and this past year they raised over $8,000 for philanthropic causes, averaging approximately $63 per man.

Zeta Xi – University of South Carolina

Zeta Xi will be presenting at their first-ever Maxwell Awards this July. The young chapter chartered in 2017 with 90 men. They recently received the highest distinction the University of South Carolina offers in their Greek evaluation programs.

This year, Zeta Xi logged 1,724 service hours averaging 20.5 per man. They raised $8,544 in their philanthropy; $2,047 for SeriousFun and $6,496 for other causes. Their alumni engagement is excellent – they created 4 alumni publications and hosted 4 alumni events. Zeta Xi also received Outstanding marks in their membership development program.

We are excited to report more about these chapters after their presentations at Convention. Stay tuned for more info on how to watch!

Phi Tau Welcomes Three New Staff Members

Phi Kappa Tau is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to staff in the Expansion and Chapter Services departments.

Success Manager: Craig Krygowski, Southern Illinois ’17

Craig is from the suburbs of Chicago. He attended Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he graduated with a degree in marketing and a minor in advertising. Craig joined Phi Tau his sophomore year and served as Assistant Vice President of Recruitment, Vice President of Alumni Relations, Chapter President, and IFC President. He is excited to help chapters with his knowledge and experience.

Success Manager: Taylor “Tip” Major, Virginia Wesleyan ’21

A Virginia native, Taylor graduated from Virginia Wesleyan University with a degree in Sports & Recreation Management. At Virginia Wesleyan, he worked as a Resident Assistant for two years, where one of his residents told him about Phi Tau. He joined the next year and served as House Manager, Brotherhood Chair, and Member Orientation Officer. Taylor was a member of the re-chartering class at Virginia Wesleyan this spring.

Recruiter: Hayden Schimborski, Middle Tennessee ’17

Hayden grew up in the suburbs of Nashville. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Communications. With the Zeta Lambda chapter, he served as new student orientation mentor and new member education leader. Hayden was also involved in the student-run news program, MT10, as an anchor and videographer.

Welcome to the team!

We are looking for additional recruiters. If you are interested in applying, find out more information here.