Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Maine

Page 3 W hen it came time to join Sigma Phi Epsilon, the choice was easy for Dale Plummer '87. "Every time I visited the house to see members who hailed from my hometown of Bath, they said, 'You are pledging here!' and showed me a great time." The enthusiastic welcome made him feel comfortable and accepted at the house, which would soon become his home away from home. Sigma Phi Epsilon provided Dale with opportunities to grow in his teamwork, communication and work ethic. That experience would eventually help him through challenging situations in the locker room, bus, dugout, practice and games. "SPE helped me learn that athletics are about team first, individual second." Dale initially attended the University of Maine to play football, but he realized the opportunity to compete in the program was limited. He decided to walk on and try out for the baseball team in the spring of 1984. "I dedicated 100% of my focus to being an asset to the nationally acclaimed program." He played for Maine for the next four years. Dale's interest in baseball began when he was around 4-5 years old. "I played in organized and competitive Little League and Babe Ruth organizations with great coaches in junior high and high school." His early competitive experiences led to future opportunities that a young baseball fan can only dream of. Dale was drafted by the New York Mets in the 23rd round of the 1988 MLB Amateur Draft. He went on to play five seasons in Triple-A, his last with the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1995. He was called up to Boston that May but was unable to accept the call to play in the major leagues due to an injury. He began his professional coaching career in 1996, and in 2010, was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. In 1995, Dale founded Professional Baseball Experience. "I knew quite a bit about baseball because I had learned from the best coaches in the profession," he said. "My goal was to pass that information along to anyone who wanted to learn and to provide a safe, competitive environment to instruct on the finer details of the game." Dale recently secured a new position as the coordinator of athletic equipment and operations at Bates College. "My favorite part of coaching is sharing knowledge of the game that can make someone a better and more competitive player," he shared. "Whatever I pass along can be used in their career or to prepare them to coach others." Dale lives in Richmond, Maine, on Baseball Lane (really!). His wife, Kim, has taught kindergarten for more than 30 years. The couple has two daughters; Jamie is a physical therapist in Virginia and Julie is a health and wellness advocate in Augusta. "We are fortunate to live on Pleasant Pond, where we fish as much as possible, cheer on the Boston Sports teams, and enjoy our privacy and peace." If you'd like to contact Dale, you can send an email to dwplummer33@gmail.com. SigEp Slugger Dale Plummer '87 Talks Transition from Player to Mentor Ethan Cassidy '24 Ethan will join the pulp and paper industry, working for a globally leading equipment supplier. Ethan's four years at Maine Alpha were crucial to his leadership development, partaking in the Ruck Leadership Institute, attending two Grand Chapter Conclaves and serving on the executive board as the VP of recruitment. (Read about Ethan's Ruck experience on Page 4!) Anthony Fabrizio '24 Anthony plans to teach middle or high school social studies while working toward his master's degree in human development. SigEp challenged Anthony to relearn how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially during the pandemic, and to find the support systems that benefit his growth. From adapting to COVID and its aftermath, Anthony's SigEp eras have been different and valuable in their own ways. Amongst his favorite SigEp memories are his first meeting as a brother, planned and unplanned deep dives with brothers, and sleepless nights spent at the house just hanging around. Above all, he remembers rituals that gathered members in meaning and in spirit. Kyle Lee '24 Kyle plans to pursue his MBA, go into the workforce and earn his CPA. SigEp taught Kyle to pay attention to the small details with the various tasks he has managed. Some favorite SigEp memories include Acadia hikes, deep dives, and destroying 95% of his brothers in ping pong. John McLaughlin '24 John accepted a job with PCA in Los Angeles as a plant optimization engineer. SigEp offered John opportunities to develop his résumé with professionals, network with successful alumni, and promote growth by being around driven college students. A few favorite memories include going on trips with brothers, playing with Orbeez shooters around the house, and playing hockey on snow days. Ryan Shorette '24 Ryan will be a substation protection and control engineer at POWER Engineers. SigEp provided many beneficial professional development events throughout Ryan's time in the chapter and reinforced the values of time management and organization. His favorite SigEp memories were the spontaneous late-night talks and playing basketball with the guys. "The big events held were fun, but it was the little things that made it great." CONGRATULATIONS, GRADUATING SENIORS

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