Sigma Chi - University of Michigan

University of Michigan page 3 T he vast campus of the University of Michigan can be daunting for most freshmen. Tim Heinle '61 found a way to make a big school smaller, by joining a fraternity. "I wanted to get with some guys with the same interests, that I could identify with," he said. Tim was friends with Jim Stevenson '60 and Guy Briggs '60 going into recruitment and had the idea that "if the rest of the guys are like these guys, I think I would fit it and enjoy it." Tim did fit in and made the most of his Sigma Chi experience by holding several officer positions while earning a liberal arts degree. Tim later earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and worked for Procter & Gamble for six years. He then opened his own business as a manufacturer of dry dog food. In 1982 he began as director of camp Kooch-i-ching, a summer camp where he had worked during college. He became president of the camping and education foundation in 1995. Tim sold his business and led the camp's fundraising efforts until formally retiring in 2008. Sigma Chi helped Tim in his career by teaching him to work with different personalities. "The fraternity helps prepare you for dealing with people and learning to give of yourself. Everybody was not the same in Sigma Chi, and it's important to learn to seek out the good in everybody. I was fortunate to have a lot of good friends in Sigma Chi and being with them taught me a lot." Tim feels that people and relationships are what make your experiences in life. Tim hopes that undergraduates will value their time in the chapter. "Those four years go so fast, it's important to make the most of the experience and get involved with the fraternity. Getting involved will get you mixing with people and that is what life is about. When you mix with people you learn and grow. Just being a member doesn't do it," Tim said. Tim has stayed connected with Sigma Chi over the years and is grateful for the efforts of Bill Swaney '60 for helping to keep Theta Theta alumni in touch. "His tenacity on keeping in contact has been a help to a lot of us by keeping us involved. We do things together and catch up with guys we haven't seen in decades." The capital campaign has given Tim another reason to re-engage with the chapter, and he has enjoyed giving back. "I got a lot out of Sigma Chi and made a lot of lifelong friends. It's similar to what I do in the camp business. And as I want those programs to thrive, I want to see the Chapter thrive," Tim said. Tim encourages his Theta Theta brothers to participate in the fundraising effort. "If everybody takes part a little bit, the men coming behind can have a similar experience that we did. For someone coming to a campus of over 40,000 students, it's good to find your niche and find some guys you can identify with." Tim and his wife, Joan, live in Scottsdale, Arizona. They also have an island home in northern Minnesota so they can be close to the camps. The couple has three children: Cynthia lives in Charlotte, N.C., Steven lives in Minneapolis, Minn., and Tim lives in International Falls, Minn. Tim enjoys an active lifestyle, playing tennis, canoeing, and snow skiing. You can contact him at chiefmudge@aol.com. Tim Heinle '61 Found His Niche in Sigma Chi Brother Gives Back to Theta Theta J ohn Crouch '83 may not have realized the full weight of lifelong brotherhood when he was going through recruitment, but he was confident about the affinity he felt for the brothers he met. "The guys were smart and funny and a great mix of scholars and athletes. I knew right away who I wanted to spend my time with," John said. John was predisposed to Sigma Chi before going through rush thanks to his father, John C. Crouch, Sr., Ohio State University '58, and his mother, Carolyn Markley, a Sigma Chi Sweetheart at Ohio State. "When I got to campus, I realized that Sigma Chi had been a top chapter at Michigan forever. I was really proud to be selected out of the hundreds of guys that rushed, given a bid, and a chance to pledge," John said. While pursuing a B.S. in industrial engineering, John held several leadership positions within the chapter, including social chairman and pro consul. He is most proud of his work accomplished as rush chairman for three terms. "Positioning the Chapter in its best light and then getting the cream of the crop every term is critical to building and sustaining a great fraternity," John said. John has had a successful career in the software business and has served as head of sales for several successful startups. His leadership roles have resulted in four IPOs and acquisitions. Today he is vice president of sales at TellApart, a company that specializes in applying machine learning and predicative analytics to drive revenue for marketers and retailers. John feels that his experience as a Chapter officer helped prepare him for his career. "I think that serving as rush chairman was a precursor to what I do today. Essentially it was a sales management job," he said. One of his first jobs out of college was the direct result of Sigma Chi, when Roger Oberg '82 hired him as a sales representative for NBI in Houston, Texas, in 1984. John hopes that undergraduates will take advantage of their opportunities in Theta Theta. "I think we're all partially formed, at best, when we arrive on campus as freshmen. Who we spend our time with and what we spend our time on is what makes us who we are. I couldn't have asked for a better group of men to grow up with." John has enjoyed the opportunity to re-engage with the Chapter through the capital campaign. "It was great to have an excuse to call a bunch of brothers out of left field and check in," John said. He has chosen to support the campaign because of Sigma Chi's impact on his life and the growing need to update the chapter house. John Crouch '83 Encourages Alumni to Get Involved in Campaign Alumnus Supports Chapter's Future (Continued on page 4)

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