Sigma Pi - Missouri University of Science & Technology

Page 3 SP D uring their annual baseball trips, John Brocke '97 and his Sigma Pi brothers always discuss the fraternity and the state of the chapter house. This led to his direct involvement in and contribution to the Honoring Our Past, Securing Our Future campaign. "It was a real pleasure to work with the team on this campaign," John says. "That this came together under budget and on time is a real testament to Jeff Tottleben '91, Jeff Ostermann '96, Kurt Steinman '97, Jason Dohrman '99, and Jeff Mockaitis '96. These men kept the program moving in the right direction through its entire project life span." Regarding his decision to donate, John added, "I felt that Sigma Pi wasn't done forming highly productive men in society. Without this new house, the fraternity would have shriveled up and died." John joined Alpha Iota following a campus visit at the invitation of Tony Haynes '93. That weekend John and a classmate visited several chapters, but walking into the Sigma Pi house was his best experience by far. "The true sense of brotherhood and the obvious lighthearted atmosphere were clear differentiators." John was in a strong new member class of 23 men. The friendships they formed over the years made his decision to stay with the brotherhood an easy one. His future wife, Tara, was also involved in Missouri S&T Greek life, and she had a close connection to Sigma Pi through the Daughters of the Emerald. Through his engineering background and a manufacturing leadership program at Coltec Industries in Monroe, N.C., John quickly realized he wanted to run his own plant someday. He began working for General Electric in 2000, where he spent more than a decade rising through the ranks—he had his first factory in 2003 at the age of 28 and finished his GE career as general manager of the security division, overseeing 13 factories worldwide. Since 2014, John has served as president and CEO of Maine Machine Products and has overseen a second business since then, creating substantial value in both. "Tara and I both feel that fraternal life aids young men in forming relationships that yield better odds in college," John stated. "Our lives have been blessed with the financial wherewithal to help the campaign, and we were happy to do so. I would encourage any alumnus to get involved, either financially or in person. Reach out to your era leader and ask how you can help." John and Tara have been married for 21 years and have two wonderful teenage children. They made it back for the grand opening of the new chapter house and were thrilled with the outcome. "I'm very pleased we were able to accomplish this for the generations to come." Connect with John at john.brocke@yahoo.com. BUILDING HIGH-QUALITY MEN John Brocke '97 Thrilled with Campaign's Success Best advice John ever received: "No matter what situation you find yourself in, treat others as you want to be treated. That means being tough when you have to but doing so in a constructive manner and recognizing those who have achieved something great." John's advice to undergraduates: "Find your passion in life and do things both personally and professionally to support that passion. A successful career has a lot to do with the results you deliver and how you deliver them combined with some luck and timing. Work hard, treat others well, and let the rest sort itself out." A ctive members of Alpha Iota were especially excited to return to campus this semester as we moved into our new chapter house. Over the summer and throughout opening week, we were hard at work with recruitment. Through the efforts of our recruitment team, we welcomed 21 new members into the new chapter house. We look forward to seeing what these young men accomplish during their time at Sigma Pi. This fall, Alpha Iota was honored to receive the Rolla Chamber of Commerce award for Best Fraternal Organization of 2019. In our desire to remain on top, we have focused on building upon academic improvement from years past. With attention to studies, we hope to raise our cumulative GPA again this year. We also looked to find success in Greek Week. Brothers led Alpha Iota to our first podium finish in several years, taking third place overall. Our volleyball, soccer, and tug of war teams all placed first. Alpha Iota's new chapter house continues to leave campus in awe, including Chancellor Dehghani, who was in attendance during our annual President's Dinner this semester. He gave high praise to Sigma Pi and is glad to see Greek life thrive on campus. Alpha Iota also hosted our first cornhole tournament, Pi Hole, with the University Police Department. Through this event, we raised $500 for Missouri's local Donate Life organization to promote organ donation across the state. Active members had a smooth transition into our new home and couldn't be more pleased with the results of this project. The executive board is working to drive positive change within the chapter in preparation for the expected growth in membership over the next several years. We thank all alumni who returned for Homecoming to visit the new house. To those who couldn't make it, thank you for your support and contributions to the chapter. Keep an eye out in the spring regarding the 112th Best Ever St. Pat's festivities as we work to beat our fourth-place finish. Fraternally, Justin Carlsen '21 jtcwc2@umsystem.edu SIGMA PI SOARS Alpha Iota Moves into New Chapter House, Wins Best Fraternity Award

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