1899 Society Reaches New Heights

Posted on by Micah Christensen

We are overwhelmed to announce that for the 3rd year in a row, the number of members in the 1899 Society has grown. We are now going strong with 305 members, each who have donated at least $1,000 to the Foundation. The core group of donors has been the driving force behind it all.

It’s been an incredible year – all thanks to our very generous donors.

At the end of June, Delta Sigma Phi wrapped up the 2018 fiscal year. Over the past 12 months, we’ve had some incredible moments. It’s truly been a fantastic year for the Foundation! We owe all of that success to you, our most loyal supporters.

We have some exciting plans for this new fiscal year, like the new monthly giving program: the Insula Society. Keep your eyes open for more as we roll into a new year together. Thank you to each and every donor for their generous support.

You can keep the support moving forward and help Delta Sigma Phi reach even further. Join The 1899 Society today!

Statement to Media – Central Florida Lawsuit

Posted on by Micah Christensen

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JUNE 14, 2018 – Delta Sigma Phi has been named in a central Florida lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct through an online group involving multiple members of the University of Central Florida chapter.

Delta Sigma Phi has placed our UCF chapter on immediate suspension as we investigate these claims. While we cannot comment on specific allegations made in the lawsuit, these claims are disturbing and antithetical to our organization’s values and mission.

Announcing our Executive Search

Posted on by Micah Christensen

Delta Sigma Phi’s Executive Director & CEO, Patrick Jessee, will be resigning from his position at the end of 2018. We cannot thank him enough for his dedication, forward thinking, and drive for pursuing our mission of Building Better Men.

Like other executive directors before Patrick, you don’t replace the person, but you do try to fill the shoes they wore. We are committed to finding an individual that can fulfill the responsibilities of this demanding role in a manner that continues to drive us toward our Vision 2025 goals.

The executive search committee is actively seeking an empowered, progressive leader with a steadfast dedication to maintaining our member-focused, mission-driven organization. This individual should be collaborative, dedicated, and a staunch advocate for fraternity life. Interested candidates are encouraged to review the position profile available here. To be considered, qualified candidates must submit a resume and cover letter explaining their interest and fit for the position by July 15, 2018, to ExecApply@DeltaSig.org.

We’re excited for Patrick as he pursues his next adventure. We know our next Executive Director is out there right now.

Foundation Position Available: Director of Development

Posted on by Micah Christensen

Delta Sigma Phi Foundation is looking for a Director of Development at its Headquarters in Indianapolis. See the description below for details, and send your application and/or questions to Nathan Wight at wight@deltasig.org.

Location:
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity Headquarters
2960 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208

Type:
Full-Time

Nondiscrimination:
Delta Sigma Phi does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity or national origin.

Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will be expected to:

  • Make strong connections with alumni and friends of Delta Sigma Phi and earn their philanthropic support that meets the organization’s needs
  • Conduct 150+ donor visits annually
  • Work closely with all development team members to ensure annual fund, major giving and planned giving goals are met each fiscal year
  • Be determined and results-oriented, self-confident and enjoy working in a small team dynamic and fast-paced environment
  • Personally manage a portfolio of major gift prospects/donors
  • Collaborate with and engage Delta Sigma Phi board members and other volunteers to include them in the fundraising process
  • Assist in formulating and implementing the Foundation’s short-term and long-term fundraising plans
  • Serve as an official ambassador for Delta Sigma Phi

Qualifications:
A bachelor’s degree and at least two years of fundraising or sales experience. The successful candidate will have a basic understanding of planned giving vehicles and be goal-oriented, organized and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Be able to travel throughout the United States. Finally, this individual must have the willingness to learn in an ever-changing environment.

Contact:

Please submit resume, salary requirements, references, and cover letter to:
Nathan Wight, Chief Advancement Officer
wight@deltasig.org
(317) 634-1899

Divyesh Jevtani Appointed to Grand Council

Posted on by Micah Christensen

Divyesh Jevtani, Illinois State University ’01, has accepted an appointment as a member of the Delta Sigma Phi Grand Council, effective January 1, 2018. Brother Jevtani’s appointment fills a vacancy left by John Knowles, Western Michigan University ’99, who resigned effective December 31, 2017.

Jim Larson, National President of Delta Sigma Phi, said, “We are indebted to Brother Knowles, who has been a dedicated member of the Grand Council for 5 years. He felt it necessary to resign his position at this time because of family commitments and increasingly challenging professional endeavors, and he will be missed on the Grand Council.”  Brother Knowles has served on the Grand Council since 2013 and has previously held many national-level volunteer positions within the Fraternity. President Larson cites Brother Knowles’ tireless work over his two decades of volunteerism, “…as an example for all Delta Sigs to emulate.”

“I reflect in awe of the experiences and cherished memories that will enrich my life forever because of Delta Sigma Phi, and am truly grateful.” said Knowles, on his 18+ years serving Delta Sigma Phi as a volunteer.

Brother Jevtani serves as the Americas Region Communications Senior Manager for Deloitte and lives in the Greater New York City area. He brings strategic and operational communications expertise and a passion for Building Better Men to the Grand Council. His professional background will add to the Grand Council’s collective knowledge as the Fraternity continues to expand and enhance its channels for members to be engaged and to provide feedback and perspective on their fraternal experience.

According to Brother Larson, “Divyesh will bring another level of professional expertise, generational insight, and regional perspective to the Fraternity’s leadership team. His experience in the area of communications will be invaluable for us as we improve our understanding of what our undergraduate brothers and alumni want and need. I expect him to add immeasurably to our “Voice of the Customer” initiative.  As a participant of the Fraternity’s undergraduate training programs, Divyesh is a tremendous testament as to why we continue to invest in and reinforce our commitment to Build Better Men.”

“Our vision is to develop strong leaders, build stronger chapters, and become America’s leading Fraternity,” said Patrick Jessee, Executive Director and CEO of Delta Sigma Phi. “We are excited to have Divyesh join the Grand Council, and see his Fraternity experience come full circle. Divyesh was an active undergraduate brother, serving on the Undergraduate Advisory Committee as the Central Region representative, attending national conventions, participating in several Regional Leadership Academies (RLAs), and graduating from our distinguished learning program – Leadership Institute. Not only was he able to take those experiences back to his chapter as an undergraduate, but he is now in a position to leverage his experiences and help us strengthen our Fraternity.” Brother Jevtani is also a founding member of the New York City Alumni Association and has volunteered at the Northeast RLA, The Summit, and Leadership Institute.

“I am honored to be appointed as a member of the Grand Council and grateful for the opportunity to continue to pay my debt to the Fraternity“ said Jevtani, “and I am excited to serve as the first alumni Millennial and bring new perspectives to the Grand Council.”

Per the Constitution of Delta Sigma Phi, his appointment will run until August 2019 when the biennial Grand Council elections will be held at the Fraternity’s National Convention, to be held in Kansas City.

You can learn more about Brother Jevtani on his LinkedIn profile.

Update Regarding Theta Upsilon at Texas A&M

Posted on by Micah Christensen

On December 9, 2017, Delta Sigma Phi revoked the charter for Theta Upsilon Chapter at Texas A&M University.

Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity is committed to upholding our standards and fostering meaningful Fraternity experience. These standards include recruitment standards. Unfortunately, Theta Upsilon has been unable to meet a threshold for these standards, which led to the chapter ceasing to be operationally viable in the near future. The chapter’s numbers have steadily declined from a high of 36 in the spring 2015, to only ten members and one new member in the spring of 2017, and currently the chapter has less than 10 members. The chapter’s failure to uphold and meet the expectations of recruitment standards of the Fraternity have led to the decision by the Grand Council to withdraw the chapter’s charter.

The news of the chapter’s closure is—without a doubt—upsetting for all Theta Upsilon undergraduate members, Fraternity alumni and other supporters. While difficult in the short-term, the National Fraternity is committed to working diligently with our alumni and Texas A&M University community to restore Theta Upsilon Chapter with Men of Courage, Action and Excellence. If you have further questions, please contact Amber Huston, Chief Operations Officer, at the Delta Sigma Phi National Fraternity Headquarters.

Updates on Hurricanes Harvey & Irma

Posted on by Micah Christensen

Updated 9.8.17

In as many weeks, a second historic hurricane will soon impact the southeast. Irma is set to make landfall early the morning of September 10, at Florida’s southern and southeast coasts. Irma has already caused catastrophic damage throughout the Caribbean region. Many Floridians are in the process of evacuating, while a large swath of the remainder of the south also makes preparations. Our own chapters – Alpha Chi at Stetson, Iota Epsilon at the University of Central Florida, Florida International University, and Theta Omega at Georgia Southern are doing what they can to get away from the path of the storm of otherwise prepare for this extreme weather.

As we continue to learn more, and share updates such as those from J.T. Thompson below, we invite Delta Sigs to use the hashtags #DSPHarvey and #DSPIrma to connect with one another, share resources or needs, and otherwise stay connected with one another throughout these storms and their aftermath. Additionally, we are sharing this info sheet from the American Red Cross on how to stay safe during the hurricane and aftermath.

Updated 8.31.17

Today, we’re sharing an update from J.T. Thompson, University of Alabama at Birmingham ’96, who lives in the Houston Metro area. We want you to hear from a fellow Delta Sig brother.

Dear brothers,

I am reaching out to you as someone who went through the recent tropical system that moved through the Houston Metro area. I wanted to provide you with a personal perspective of what has transpired. I also want to encourage you to get involved, either through financial contributions or hands-on volunteering.

As you know, the city of Houston was devastated by Hurricane/Tropical Storm Harvey, which flooded the city with over 9 TRILLION gallons of water in a 48-72 hour period. A city, which covers over 2,200 sq miles was almost completely flooded. To put it into perspective, this area received enough water in that time period to fill the Great Salt Lake twice!

As of Tuesday night, 15,000 people were in shelters; more than 13,000 had to be rescued; and 18 people lost their lives. I had a chance to see the devastation that the flooding caused as I went out to see who needed help. Places as close as three miles from me were destroyed by the flood waters.

My family and I were lucky. We were spared the flooding, but I will tell you that it came extremely close. The flood control ravine that sits roughly 50 yards from my house came within a foot of cresting. Had it done so, we would have had water all throughout our house. Sunday evening was one of little sleep and angst as we watched the rising water and moved items to our second floor. Now, the sun is out, and hope begins. We as a city will rebuild. However, we can’t do this alone. Our fraternity has always been willing to step up when called upon. Forever repaying the debt to both our organization, our members, and our communities.

Now is that time. I ask each of you to dig down and find whatever you can donate to help those who have lost everything. If you would rather donate to local organizations, I have provided the HQ that will posted on social media. Every little bit helps!

Thank you in advance for your help!

YITBOS,
J.T. Thompson, University of Alabama at Birmingham ’96

Continue Below to See How to Help

hurricaneharvey02.jpg?r=1504198624016

J.T. has included a list of organizations in the region that are providing aid to those impacted by this disaster. You can view that list here. Delta Sig has multiple chapters in Texas, undergraduate and alumni brothers and their family members in and from this region. The Red Cross has upgraded their need for assistance in the region as Urgent, and we encourage all members to help. Alternatively, you may also click this link to donate directly to the Red Cross, you can even choose to have your donation go specifically to Hurricane Harvey assistance. You may notice this link is a Delta Sigma Phi affiliate link – this is solely to track the number and value of donations from our members; we do not receive any compensation for donations made through our link.

Updated 8.28.17

As you have seen in the news, the Gulf Coast of Texas and parts of Louisiana were hit by Hurricane Harvey – a Category 4 storm. With storm surges upwards of 6-8 feet, the initial hurricane was already life threatening. But as the storm has stalled over the region, the people of southeast Texas are facing a week of torrential rain that is predicted to bring in upwards of 36 inches in some areas. This is still a dangerous situation, many thousands have been evacuated, and by the time this event is over, millions will be affected. In Huston, experts are suggesting this may be the worst flood experienced in their city’s recorded history.

Harvey Rescue 1

In 2005, at the height of recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina, Delta Sigma Phi named the American Red Cross as its national philanthropy. Chapters maintain close relationships with local Red Cross operations to create awareness, donate blood, and raise much needed funds for the organization. Our men take pride in having the courage to get involved, taking action to make an impact, and pursuing excellence in service to their communities.

Delta Sig has multiple chapters in Texas, with undergraduate and alumni brothers from this region, and their family members. The Red Cross has upgraded their need for assistance in the region as Urgent, and we encourage all members to help. You can click this link to donate directly to the Red Cross, you can even choose to have your donation go specifically to Hurricane Harvey assistance. You may notice this link is a Delta Sigma Phi affiliate link – this is solely to track the number and value of donations from our members; we do not receive any compensation for donations made through our link.

We urge you to help today. From our Delta Sigma Phi brothers in the region to all those who have been affected, we wish you Godspeed in the days ahead and during the long recovery process as you weather the storm.

Beta Kappa Chapter Named American Red Cross Partner of the Year

Posted on by Micah Christensen

Beakie Powell of the West Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross works closely with the men of the Beta Kappa chapter. The chapter was recently named the 2016 Corporate Partner of the Year.
“The chapter at The University of Alabama has been a huge asset to the West Alabama
Chapter of the American Red Cross. They have support the Home Fire Campaign over the last two years, installing hundreds of smoke alarms into at risk home and providing important fire safety information to residents.

Through their fundraising efforts they have donated over $20,000 to the local Red Cross chapter. Those funds support the mission of the Red Cross to help individuals in the face of disaster.

The young men of Delta Sigma Phi have been wonderful to work with, each one is a gentleman with high moral character. Their group has given back to the community of Tuscaloosa with their time and respect.

Delta Sigma Phi has been chosen as the Corporate Partner for 2016.”

Recognizing Cameron Carey

Posted on by Micah Christensen

Cameron Carey, 2012 initiate of the Epsilon Iota chapter of Delta Sigma Phi at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, has been recognized with the E. Allen James Outstanding Undergraduate Award.

The E. Allen James Award is the highest award the Fraternity can give to an undergraduate brother. On  the award, Tom Cycyota, National President of Delta Sigma Phi, shared “Only one undergraduate brother will receive the E. Allen James Award each year. The honor goes to an individual who truly embodies the mission and values of Delta Sigma Phi, and has consistently gone above and beyond in their service within the Fraternity and their local college community.”

The award is named in honor of E. Allen James, North Carolina State ’65, whose service to the Fraternity has included executive director, member of the Grand Council, and president of the Delta Sigma Phi Foundation. Mr. James was present to bestow his namesake award to Carey.

“I am amazed at the accomplishments of Cam Carey during his undergraduate career at University of Wisconsin, Lacrosse. It is clear Cam put into action the many leadership techniques he learned from participating in Delta Sig training events. His chapter, Epsilon Iota, benefitted, as did his University. It was an honor to present the E. Allen James Outstanding Undergraduate Award to Cam and to know he is currently working for the national fraternity. More brothers across the country will now learn from him.”

Carey graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2016, and now serves as a chapter support specialist for Delta Sigma Phi’s national headquarters.

Delta Sigma Phi Alumnus Recognized

Posted on by Micah Christensen

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – June 7, 2016 – Nick Sweetman, a Delta Sigma Phi member and recent graduate of Arizona State University, has been recognized by the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) with their Undergraduate Award of Distinction.

The Undergraduate Award of Distinction “seeks to recognize fraternity men who have found in their experience an outlet for developing as both a leader and a better man. The recipients are those who embody the values of their fraternity and expect the same from those with whom they associate.” Nick is one of five honorees, from a Greek community of currently more than 750,000 undergraduate men.

Sweetman serves as one of two undergraduate representatives for Delta Sigma Phi’s Grand Council and chairs a national committee of undergraduate members. He has been extensively recognized for his leadership within Arizona State’s Greek community, where he has helped spearhead projects such as a mental health initiative, a project to help the local police provide toys to children in need during the holiday season, and most recently, a proposal for long-term Greek housing at Arizona State University. Nick graduated from Arizona State University in May. While at Arizona State, Nick also served as Interfraternity Council (IFC) president.  He was jointly nominated for this award by both Delta Sigma Phi and ASU.

In his nomination for Sweetman, Patrick Jessee, Executive Director and CEO of Delta Sigma Phi, stated “Nick situates himself in every conversation with reasoned, humble leadership and poise.  He comes exceptionally prepared with well-developed critical thoughts, and advocates his concerns with clarity and compassion and without hesitation.  I see him engage his fellow undergraduates with open arms, a huge smile, and a genuine passion for understanding who they are, what they desire, and how we can support them.  It truly astounds me how he’s able to put such energy and time into this role on top of his extensive academic schedule and other volunteer commitments.”