Kitt Wakeley, East Central OK '87, Brings Home His First Grammy Award

During the 65th Annual Grammy Awards this past Sunday, February 5th, Kitt Wakeley, East Central OK '87, won his first Grammy for An Adoption Story. Winning in the category of Best Classical Compendium Album, Wakeley stated the following during his acceptance speech: 

“Winning a GRAMMY is the highest honor of my music career and today I have the privilege of receiving the gold statuette. I’m so honored that this album and the GRAMMY process have cast such a positive light on foster care and adoptive families. I’m blessed to have worked with such an amazing team of musicians and music creatives who were able to elevate my music into something that captured the passion and spirit behind it.  I’ll embrace this moment with the utmost humility and cherish the moment with my family, friends, and peers for the rest of my career. 

I’d like to thank The Recording Academy for this opportunity and to congratulate all the nominees and fellow winners. The quality of this year’s GRAMMY submissions was spectacular.”   

The alumni run website, PKT Alumni Club, wrote up a piece on Wakeley and his accomplishments, which we will feature below:  

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Kitt Wakeley and his family.

Christopher “Kitt” Wakeley was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He completed his bachelor’s degree in pre-Law and sociology and a master's in public administration from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. He was initiated into the Gamma Xi Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity on December 12, 1987. Kitt received his master's degree in health administration from the University of Oklahoma in 1994 and is an active member of the PKT Alumni Club. 

An Adoption Story features the London Symphony Orchestra recorded at the famed Abbey Road Studios, plus stellar featured guests, including Grammy Award-winning South African flautist Wouter Kellerman, 15-time Grammy Award-nominated guitarist Joe Satriani, among many other talented musicians. The album features additional production by three-time Grammy Award-winner Tre Nagella, mixing by Eva Reistad, and mastering by four-time Grammy Award-winner Gavin Lurssen. 

An Adoption Story is Kitt’s personal musical voyage that explores his time in the foster care system as a young child where he was separated from his half-sister, Tasha. His subsequent adoption into a loving family, reuniting with Tasha decades later, and to the present, where Kitt and his wife Melissa adopted three siblings — Chris (9), KJ (7), and Nia (6) — to keep them from going through the same trauma of separation he experienced. A year after the adoption of Chris, KJ, and Nia, Kitt’s story about reuniting with Tasha spread to national media. 

Getting Reunion Ready

This article is taken from our most recent edition of The Laurel, to read the full digital edition click here!

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

There’s an age-old adage stated among fraternity men nationwide; typically mentioned at your first recruitment event and carried through the years to come. “It’s not four years, it’s a lifetime.”  

Bill Brasch speaking at the Louisville 75th.

But is it really? Year after year passes following graduation, and life seems to pile on an endless slew of new happy distractions. Careers, family, traveling, and countless other matters pull you a little bit further away from the wide-eyed brother of Phi Kappa Tau who was so utterly consumed by life as a fraternity man. This is merely the reality of growing older and is in no way indicative of how treasured even the most distant of brothers are to this organization. The truth is, losing touch and letting go is easier. It takes a deep passion and commitment to continue giving more of yourself to this organization. It’s a sacrifice of some productivity during a workday, a few weekends with the family throughout the year, or of some much-needed free time. This continued service to our brotherhood goes beyond keeping in touch with a small group of men, and bridges into the task of bringing an entire chapter back together. These fearless leaders take on the daunting task of keeping contact information up to date for generations of brothers within their chapter; plan banquets, dinners, anniversaries, and a number of other events; and work diligently with the Executive Office staff to curate the best possible post-graduate experience for members of Phi Kappa Tau. Continuing to display their devotion to this brotherhood and their chapter, these are the men who bring us out of our own bubble and welcome us back into the fray with open arms. 

This past year, Phi Kappa Tau chapters around the country celebrated various anniversaries and many held events in celebrations of these landmarks. Among these were Alpha Psi at Texas-El Paso celebrating an 81st anniversary, Gamma Alpha honoring the 65th anniversary of their Founding as Mu Kappa Mu local fraternity, Beta Beta at Lousiville with a 75th anniversary celebration, and Omicron at Penn State ringing in 100 years of brotherhood.  

Texas El-Paso celebrating 81 years.

For Alpha Psi, this was a gathering for the first time in 30 years, and saw a weekend filled with a Friday night poolside reception at the former Chapter House, before moving down the street to dinner; a Saturday night Reunion dinner, attended by 75 brothers, family members, and loved ones; ending with a Sunday farewell lunch. This event stemmed from an impromptu dinner in August 2021 attended by 11 brothers and snowballed into the jam-packed weekend attended by 60. Gamma Alpha gathers their brothers every five years for a reunion—this year's coming the weekend before Labor Day. With over 200 graduate members in attendance and 350 total guests, the men of Gamma Alpha had an abundance of reasons for celebration. Charter Members in attendance were awarded framed copies of the original charter, annual scholarship recipients from their CEG were announced, and the entire event was documented by Marty Schendel, Michigan Tech '81. Receiving the Phi Award for his contributions to the chapter, Jim Bacon, Michigan Tech '59, announced the creation and first recipients of the Bacon-Hlivak Legacy Scholarship with his son and grandson.  

Events like the Alpha Psi and Gamma Alpha reunions are a treat for the attendees, but for the planners of the event—the aforementioned dedicated few—these take diligent planning and months of work. For this piece, we were fortunate enough to speak with John Mountz, Penn State ’90, and Bill Brasch, PE, Louisville '67, on the subject of planning anniversary and reunion events. For those looking to plan an event like this in the future, let their advice be a guiding light to sure success.  

Senator Mitch McConnell with undergraduate brothers at the Louisville 75th.

The first step in planning any event is gathering attendees and notifying as many brothers as possible. For Brasch, his success in this regard comes from decades of diligent work—maintaining one of the most thorough lists of brother’s contact information within our fraternity. For the last fifty years, Brasch has maintained his zero lost alumni mentality, and has nearly accomplished it throughout the duration of that time. This extensive list aided in gathering an astounding 842 people at the 50th anniversary for Beta Beta and roughly 300 at the 75th anniversary. Both parties began the process by issuing save the dates via their social media channels, then locked down a date and issued a formal invitation. As the event drew closer, the groups would use mailers and email lists to drive traffic toward the social media channels. Omicron also included a "see who is attending feature” and had those on the planning committee send direct invitations to their close personal friends—this led to a large increase in attendance.  

The next step is to begin the process of organizing the event. Mountz and the Omicron planning committee began putting together their centennial five months before it was to be held, but he not only recommended, but strongly encouraged, beginning up to a year in advance. For Omicron, the goal was to create the most inclusive possible event, in hopes of reaching the largest audience. When planning the events for Beta Beta, Brasch has some strict guidelines for curating the best possible experience and garnering the most attendees. Utilizing opportunities presented by the campus, Brasch organizes these events on the same weekends as Louisville’s homecoming—giving those who participate the options to go to partake in the other activities throughout the weekend and limit the need for alumni to travel back for multiple events. When asked what advice he would give to fellow alumni planning their next event, Mountz stated, “Make it fit the personality of your chapter while also using this event as an opportunity to showcase what is great about our national organization. Many of our alumni were unaware of how the fraternity has changed over time and including staff from headquarters and/or leadership from the National Council just enhances the event for everyone.” 

Learning from the experience of an anniversary expert like Brasch and the innovative Omicron planning committee is only the tip of the iceberg. As you venture into planning the next event for your chapter, go into it knowing that you are amongst the men who add depth and truth to the lifelong aspect of our organization. Working to bring brothers back together, to reconnect those who may have lost touch, and rekindle relationships that have been long lost. The diligent work and dedication are rewarded beyond measure—for each brother brought back into the fold is not only a chance to reinvigorate their love for our organization, but a reminder of those days once spent surrounded by your fellow Phi Tau’s, learning and growing together as a whole. 

Brian Browne, Case Western Reserve '06, Starts New Position at BWF

Brian Browne.

Arriving on Case Western’s campus, Brian Browne, Case Western Reserve '06, found himself in a wholly new environment without the safety net that guides non-first-generation college students. Browne’s goal was to find a community and network that could help him develop the social and leadership skills that he aspired to. Phi Kappa Tau became that home, but it was also the catalyst to campus wide involvement. Providing a safe space, in which, Browne could practice the skills he would go on to perfect throughout his education and career. In his time as an undergraduate member of Phi Tau, Browne would serve as Membership Orientation Officer and Vice President of the Alpha Delta chapter. Browne would go on to received the coveted William H. Shideler Award for Outstanding Graduating Senior. Truly embracing his community, Browne remained at Case Western Reserve for many years to come—retaining his commitment to Phi Tau along his journey.  

Following the completion of his M.B.A from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western, Browne took a position with the university as an admission counselor. Over the next four years, he worked his way up to being the Director of Development for the School of Medicine. In September of 2014, Browne would take his talent down to Oxford, Ohio and act as the Director of Development for the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation for the next two years. Following his time with the Foundation, Browne would return to Case Western and then spend time at Oberlin College—specializing in fundings, donor relations, and alumni engagement. In December of this past year, Browne was given the opportunity to utilize the skills he developed on a larger scale. Stepping out of the world of higher education, Browne was hired by Phi Kappa Tau Foundation Chairman Jeff Hilperts, Spring Hill '96, as the Director of Philanthropic Counsel at BWF. As a complete fundraising consulting firm, Browne will assist BWF in advising clients looking to start fundraising campaigns on the best course of action. Along with his new position, Browne will soon enjoy a new home with his partner and their two dogs.  

The Search for the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation Executive Director Begins

The Centennial Garden at the Phi Kappa Tau Executive Offices in Oxford, OH.

The Phi Kappa Tau Foundation seeks to hire an Executive Director to lead and manage the day-to-day activities of the philanthropic arm of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity.   

The Executive Director is responsible for leading a comprehensive fundraising program that supports the Foundation’s mission ”to ensure the philanthropic support necessary to sustain high levels of educational programming by fostering lifelong relationships and commitment to the Fraternity’s ideals.”  

Reporting to the Executive Committee of the Phi Kappa Tau Foundation Board of Trustees (composed of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Treasurer, and Secretary), the Executive Director will lead Foundation advancement activities – annual fund, major gift, planned giving, and all campaign efforts - and will have demonstrated leadership and accomplishment in advancement with a proven record of fundraising success. Strong organizational, supervisory, leadership and interpersonal skills are essential, as are outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Applicants must have a minimum of 5 years of experience in major gift fundraising and have a demonstrated ability to build relationships with high-net-worth individuals and senior leaders of major corporations. 

Search Committee 

The Foundation has established a search committee which is chaired by Doug Adams and includes the following members: Mike Bichimer, Ray Cox, Jeff Hilperts (Foundation Chair), and Warren Mattox (Foundation Vice Chair).  

The search committee is being assisted in this effort by Columns Fundraising (www.columnsfundraising.com), a firm based in Atlanta, Georgia.  Columns has worked with not-for-profits and associations across the country and has a unique experience in the Greek world – three of their founding partners served as past staff members and CEOs within their respective fraternities/fraternal foundations and they continue working with fraternities and sororities at the national and local level.    

Recommendations & Applications 

To learn more, the Position Description outlining the roles and responsibilities of the Executive Director, as well as the knowledge, skills, education and experience that applicants should possess, may be found here.  

Should you wish to recommend someone as a potential candidate for this position, please do so using this online form.  Recommendations will be accepted through Friday, March 3, 2023. 

Should you wish to apply for the position, please do so using this online form. 

Applications will be accepted through Friday, March 17, 2023.  

Paul Thompson, Georgia Tech '72, Retires Following a Distinguished Career

Paul Thompson.

When the W.K. Kellogg Chair in Agricultural, Food and Community Ethics was established at Michigan State University, it was not only the first position of its kind at the university, but also one of the first in the country. Holding the position from 2003-2022, Paul Thompson, Georgia Tech '72, is now happily retired. Thompson’s reasoning for taking the position never changed throughout his twenty years at Michigan State; it was the first of its kind and he didn’t want one of his friends to have it. Thompson now serves as emeritus faculty in the departments of Philosophy, Community Sustainability and Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics. 

Along with his tenure at Michigan State, Thompson has been one of the leading voices in the field of Agriculture and Environmental Ethics. He has six books published, with a seventh on the way. His book From Field to Fork: Food Ethics for Everyone was published by Oxford University Press in 2015. It won the “Book of the Year” award for 2015 from the North American Society for Social Philosophy. Another revered work, The Spirit of the Soil: Agriculture and Environmental Ethics was released in a revised and updated second edition in 2017. Thompson has also authored or co-authored over two hundred articles in refereed journals or scholarly books. This distinguished career doesn’t stop there, Thompson was a founding member and second President of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society, which awarded him its award for Distinguished Career Contribution in Research in 2013. He also served on advisory boards at the U.S. National Research Council, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and for numerous academic journals, including Environmental Ethics and Agriculture and Human Values. He was a founding member and second President of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society, which awarded him its award for Distinguished Career Contribution in Research in 2013. 

Not only spending much of his career in academia, Thompson stated, “I spent far too long as an undergraduate.” Beginning his education at the University of Northern Colorado, he then transferred to Georgia Tech where he was pursuing a math degree. While at Georgia Tech, Thompson was looking for an excuse to move out of the dorms and a community to aid him in his transition. This led him to join Phi Kappa Tau. He remembers the brotherhood fondly, and his friendship with Blake Putney, Jr, Georgia Tech '72, resulted in his first risk assessment position—Thompson considers this the beginning of his path to philosophy.  

Enjoying the spoils of retirement, Thompson spends much of his time with his wife, Diane, their two children, and four grandchildren. The couple split time between their house in Michigan and Diane’s family farm in South Georgia.  

From the World Series to TikTok

This article is taken from our most recent edition of The Laurel, to read the full digital edition click here!

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11 

Stock in his A’s uniform.

Long after his nearly 35-year career in baseball, ex-Major League Baseball player and coach, Wes Stock, Washington State ’54, is making headlines once again. This time, success comes in the form of TikTok videos made by his granddaughter, Megan Rage. Garnering upwards of 10 million views, the videos highlighting Stock’s career became viral sensations. Not only were these videos an entertaining bonding experience for Stock and his granddaughter, but they shed light on a distinguished career and Hall of Fame member of our organization.  

Stock’s initiation into Phi Tau stemmed back to his high school days in Shelton, Washington. Coming from a long line of Washington State graduates, Stock followed suit and became a member of the university’s ball club. Living with his aunt and uncle for a semester, Stock was introduced to the fraternity by men he had known from Shelton. In the Spring of 1953, Stock moved into the Phi Tau house and would create many fond memories until he departed in the Fall of 1956. His initial departure was due to an offer to play for the Baltimore Orioles. Like many men of the time, Stock was drafted and would serve his time in the military from 1957-1958—fortunately being able to play some ball with Baltimore throughout that time. His career as a player would last for eight and a half years, five with the Orioles and three with the Kansas City Athletics. Following his playing career, Stock took his first position as a pitching coach for the Athletics, then would go on to coach for Oakland (1973–1976; 1984–1986), the Milwaukee Brewers (1970–1972), and the Seattle Mariners (1977–1981). During this time, he had the honor of coaching the 1975 American League All-Star team. A career highlight for Stock was coaching the back-to-back World Series champion Athletics in 1973 and 1974.  

Wes and Bev.

At the time he left Washington State, Stock was just three credits shy of graduating. Due to a change in the university’s requirements, he was awarded his degree by the Washington State President during an alumni golf outing. Enjoying his retirement, Stock spends much of his time with wife, Bev, their two sons, four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.  

Spring 2023 Billing Memo

The Executive Offices have announced this semester’s billing breakdown, policies, and procedures. Please direct any questions to your chapter’s Success Manager. See below for the  the full breakdown, the biggest change that your chapter may see is a reduction due to insurance discounts for items such as:

• Hosted/Participated in all 4 Risk Prevention seminars

• Have a clean 2-year record (No Risk Prevention Policy violations within the past two years)

• No chapter house

• Alcohol Free chapter house

• Alcohol Free  chapter operations (All chapter events/activities/housing is alcohol -free)

• Have a live-in advisor if you have a house

Click here for a more comprehensive PDF overview.

2023 Spring Fee Structure

Member Fees

One-time:

• Associate Fee: $250

• Total: $250

Per Semester

• Member Dues: $87.50

• Housing: $7.50

• Insurance: $70-$160 (dependent on certain insurance discounts)

• Total: $255

Chapter Fees

• Chapter Dues: $500

• Education Pool: $765

• Conference Pool: $510

• NIC Dues: $176

• Total: $1,951

Understanding your Bill:

To calculate what members may pay: use the following formula:

• 255+ (1951/X)

• X= amount of members in your chapter

• Example: Chapter with 35 members 255 + (1951/35) = ~310.74

Dexter Horne, Centre '13, Keynotes the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

Dexter Horne.

Among countless others, a well-known Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. quote is, “Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” Dr. King was known to speak extensively on the importance of forgiveness, and how crucial it was to making lasting change in the world. For Dexter Horne, Centre '13, this will be a pivotal theme in his keynote speech at Centre College’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation. This event will take place on Monday, January 16th (MLK Day), and honor the civil right leader during an annual community-wide gathering. The theme is It Starts With Me: Cultivating a Beloved Community Mindset to Transform Unjust Systems.  

Horne is no stranger to fighting for change at Centre College or within his community. Having striven for a more inclusive experience for all students at Centre, Horne would frequently voice the need for changes to the administration and worked with other campus leaders to ensure they were improved. As more changes were needed and not met, Horne was left with feelings of resentment. Yet, when Centre College’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity reached out with the opportunity to act as the keynote speaker for the convocation, he began to ponder the idea of forgiveness. Having just finished reading a book about the civil rights movement, Horne felt it was timely to give this speech with all this so fresh in his mind. The general thesis of the book was that a beloved community mindset, like that of Dr. King, was one that included as many people from different backgrounds as possible. One that allows for embracing difference, allowing enemies to share in your vision for a better future, and embracing people who didn’t relate to him working alongside him to create a better vision. In an excerpt from his speech, Horne states, "...a beloved community mindset is one that casts the greatest net and allows all people to contribute to our project for a more perfect union. Importantly, a beloved community mindset is also one that is big enough to move beyond ego and the politics of shame...at the end of the day, like Dr. King, none of us in this room needs to be individually great or exceptional to make our world more just. If the communities we cultivate are great enough to hold difference, to hold people accountable for their actions, and hold opportunities for growth and redemption; we can accomplish anything." 

Horne in Chicago.

Long before he was giving speeches, Horne was an ambitious young leader, a dedicated brother of Phi Kappa Tau, and a Bonner Scholar. Joining Phi Tau in the spring of his freshman year, he quickly filled the role of Community Service and Philanthropy Chair—serving through his sophomore year. Following that position, he went on to serve as Recruitment Chair and President of the Delta Chapter. Alongside his Phi Tau involvement, Horne was a member of student government, debate series, the English as a second language program, and worked for the admissions office. During his time as an undergrad, Horne was recognized for his achievements on multiple occasions; he is a recipient of the Paul A. Elfers Omega Scholarship, the William H. Shideler Award, the Best Loved and Most Respected Senior Man Award, and was voted Homecoming King during his senior year at Centre.  

Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Horne gained his Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky. Beginning his career with the Ronnie Bastin for Mayor Campaign, Horne then moved on to hold a Project Manager position at the McNary Group, a Development Associate position at Louisville Public Media, and is now a Senior Policy Analyst for The Council of State Governments. As a Senior Policy Analyst, Horne’s primary function is to provide support to CSG’s Healthy States National Task force, which includes state leaders from across the three branches of government in all 50 states and 6 territories. Throughout his career, Horne has remained a loyal brother, serving as a volunteer and BOG member.  

Matt Ter Molen Takes New Role at RPI

Matt Ter Molen.

Alpha alumnus, Matt Ter Molen, Miami '84, has assumed the role of Vice President for Institute Advancement at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Following his distinguished tenure at Syracuse University, Ter Molen will be venturing into his new position with an abundance of experience and expertise. These two institutions are not the only ones that have benefitted from Ter Molen’s initiative and foreword thinking. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree in Political Science, Ter Molen spent two years as a Peace Corp volunteer with a specialization in beekeeping; four years as the Director of Annual Giving at the University of Chicago; then eighteen years in various position—including Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations—with Northwestern University, before making the move to Syracuse.  

While at Syracuse, Ter Molen left a lasting impression on the university by leading Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University. This initiative was launched in November 2019 and focuses on advancing academic excellence at all levels. It has raised more in private philanthropy than at any other time in the University’s history, with more than $1.2 billion raised toward the $1.5 billion goal. Under the leadership of Ter Molen, the Forever Orange team has allocated $115.5 million to student financial aid and another $135 million to research funding, created nearly 500 new scholarships, and established approximately 65 new funds to support faculty research.  

In a Syracuse University press release, Chancellor Kent Syverud said this of Ter Molen, “Matt came to Syracuse at an important moment in the University’s history and made an immediate impact. He hired a talented team of fundraising and alumni engagement professionals, expanded alumni programming and led the launch of the University’s most ambitious fundraising campaign. Matt has been a tenacious steward of the University’s mission and has inspired countless donors and alumni to support the Orange vision for the future.” 

Phi Taus Help Pass the Respect for Marriage Act

By Dalton Lee, Baldwin Wallace ’11

White House on the day of signing.

On Thursday, December 8th, the House passed legislation that would enshrine federal protection for same-sex and interracial marriages. First securing a 258-169 victory, the Respect for Marriage Act then progressed through the senate with a 61-36 count. President Biden signed the legislation into law during a ceremony on Tuesday, December 13th, featuring the first lady Jill Biden, first lady Jill Biden, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. Among the champions of this bill are Ken Mehlman, Franklin & Marshall '85, and Ted Olson, U of the Pacific '61.   

Ken Mehlman.

Xi-chapter alumni, Mehlman has had an extensive career within the Republican Party and came out as gay in 2010. Having served as President George W. Bush’s campaign manager in 2004 and as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005-2007, Mehlman has established himself as a prominent figure in the party and as an outspoken advocate for gay rights. The effort to gather the Republican votes needed to pass this legislation involved flooding the phone lines of Republican senators with calls from constituents in favor of the same-sex marriage measure, presenting them with polling data that showed voters were more likely to support a candidate who endorsed this bill. The effort was a resounding success as 47 Republicans joined in supporting the bill as it initially passed through the House. Mehlman, working with Centerline Action, a centrist nonprofit, were able to commission the polling in nine states where they identified Republican senators who could be persuaded to support the Respect for Marriage Act—directly influencing the eventual passing of this legislation through the Senate. At least one Senator from each state polled voted in favor of the bill, helping to reach the ten Republican votes needed to pass. 

Ted Olson.

Mehlman’s further efforts to pass this bill called for the assistance of fellow Phi Tau, Ted Olson. Olson was a United States Assistant Attorney General from 1981–1984, under President Ronald Reagan, and United States Solicitor General from 2001–2004, under President George W. Bush. The duo published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal calling on the Senate to support the bill and stated, “as conservatives we should promote freedom and limited government. That includes supporting American citizens’ freedom to marry the person they love.” With countless members of our organization identifying as LGBTQIA+, these two brothers are working to secure freedoms and equal rights for not only our brotherhood, but for citizens across the country.