Beta Theta Pi - Miami University

Alpha Slants of Beta theta Pi PaGe 4 W hen the men of Alpha Chapter go out into the world after college, their paths range far and wide. From medicine and law to technology, entrepreneurial paths, and so much more, our brothers do astounding work. Tom Kinder '76, Dr. Mark Triffon '79, Tom Fox '85, and Jeff Schwartz '86 certainly fit that profile, building their reputations and making a mark within the world of professional sports. When Tom Kinder graduated from Beta, he was recruited by Proctor & Gamble for a position in their sales division. Though he was a communications major at Miami, with an eye for broadcasting as a news anchor, Kinder found a fit within the culture of P&G, earning a position as vice president in sales and marketing. He spent 33 years with the company, but during that time, achieved a piece of his broadcasting dream when he became the PA announcer for the Cincinnati Bengals. Kinder had grown up tagging along as a spotter for his dad, Tom Sr., the original Bengals announcer. When his father passed away in 2005, Tom got the call from Mike Brown, offering him the job. Tom is now in his 12th season manning the microphone, keeping 68,000 Bengals fans informed and engaged in each game and creating a competitive advantage for the team. Since Mark Triffon was young, he knew that he wanted a career in medicine. Having surgery at a young age to remove a tumor, there was a connection to the field and a passion for sports developed as a young man and as a member of Beta's athletic teams. Triffon earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Southern California, he then completed a fellowship in sports medicine at the Minneapolis Sports Medicine Center. He ran his own orthopedic surgery and sports medicine practice and was an instructor at Vanderbilt University while living in Tennessee. Now located in Columbus, Triffon serves as team physician for Rahal Letterman Racing and the Columbus Blue Jackets, an especially fun group of athletes to be associated with. He also assists with care for Columbus Crew, the city's Major League Soccer team, bringing together his natural interests in medicine and sports. Tom Fox began his connection to the sports world just out of college. After earning his degree in public administration, he began working for Quaker Oats in Chicago in brand management and soon found his way into Gatorade's Sports Marketing group. His positions within sports progressed, with jobs around the world and throughout the sports marketing industry. He developed the NBA's Asia Pacific business as the league's managing director for Asia in the mid-90s; served as a director of sports marketing for Nike in both Asia and the United States; and returned to Gatorade in 1999 as the senior vice president of sports and event marketing. In 2009, Fox left for the United Kingdom to take on the newly created position of chief commercial officer with Arsenal FC and most recently was with Aston Villa FC as their chief executive officer. Fox was one of the brothers who led the way in recruiting Jeff Schwartz to Beta. Schwartz went on from Miami to attend law school at Temple University. While clerking for a federal bankruptcy judge in Los Angeles, he was introduced to the talent representation agency, IMG. Though he returned to the east coast to work with the law firm Cummings & Lockwood, the idea of working as an agent remained. When the opportunity arose in 1992, Schwartz took a position with IMG. In 2002, he founded Excel Sports Management. The company has grown from a basketball agency into one of the most highly regarded multi-sport marketing and representation agencies, working with athletes like Blake Griffin, Tiger Woods, and Derek Jeter. While many agents talk about the size of the contracts they've done, Schwartz defines his career by integrity and the longevity of his client relationships. He works to sign athletes at a young age and help them reach the pinnacle of their careers. To him, it is about guiding their careers on the court, while building their brand off of it, navigating an authentic, long-term growth of their brand and image. Talking to each of these men, a common thread emerges—a deep sense of gratitude for the experiences and brotherhood found at Alpha Chapter of Beta Theta Pi. Each was introduced to Beta in a different way, but the reputation of the men in the fraternity and the standing of the house on campus drew each of them in. "When I joined Beta," said Fox, "I didn't know then what I know now about the incredible history and core values of the fraternity and the Alpha Chapter, but like many people I chose Beta because I believed in the people I met during the process. In 31 years since graduating, I've never doubted my decision. I've been involved with brands my whole career and, in a way, Beta was my first experience with being part of a brand. We had a couple of challenging years at the same time I was elected chapter president, but we all had to step back and take a longer view of the organization and accept our part in leaving it in good shape for the classes yet to come. The lessons I learned during this period have helped me immensely throughout my career." "Beta is a lifelong association I've been blessed to have," adds Triffon. "I got very sick in 1999 and had a prolonged recovery. This was before computers and cell phones were widespread, but my fraternity brothers sent me a computer so I could keep in touch with everyone. We continue to be there for each other through every event, even after all these years, and I will be able to count on these men for my whole life. Going to Miami itself was great, and being a Beta on top of that was tremendous. The ideals that our fraternity believes have guided me through my life with my friendships and commitments. I'm ever grateful to my brothers and to Beta." Schwartz shares, "I can still recall feeling absolutely the most comfortable in the Beta house when I went to open houses as an undergraduate. The men there were likeminded, enjoyed sports, liked music, and were people I could see myself with for the next four years. Ultimately, I've found more than 30 years of friendship with some of those guys. The Beta house and the Beta Alumni Impact Professional Sports Tom Kinder '76 Most Memorable Sports Moment: Taking Beta brothers to the rivalry Bengals vs. Browns games. Dr. Mark Triffon '79 Most Memorable Sports Moment: When the Blue Jackets made it to the playoffs. The arena was electric. Tom Fox '85 Most Memorable Sports Moment: The moments I'll remember best are watching friends achieve their dreams of winning a Super Bowl, the NASCAR Cup, an NBA Championship, a Soccer World Cup, or an Olympic gold medal. Luckily I've seen all of those and more. Jeff Schwartz '86 Most Memorable Sports Moment: I've been lucky to have a number of personal moments with clients throughout the years. Three that come to mind are watching Pete Sampras break the Grand Slam record at Wimbledon in 2000, hanging in the locker room with Paul Pierce after winning the 2008 NBA Finals, and doing the same with Tyson Chandler and Jason Kidd after winning in 2011.

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