Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

University of florida, sigma Phi ePsilon information www.flalPha.org SigEp Gator Heart F lorida Alpha continues to excel and already achieved several benchmarks for 2018. The Chapter is now over 100 men strong, continues to have the highest GPA on campus, and was recognized as the University of Florida's Chapter of the Year. These accomplishments are the product of great leadership by the undergraduates and alumni alike. Strong leadership has been a hallmark of Florida Alpha and this continues to be the case. Graham Boone '20 is the current President of the undergraduate Chapter and his leadership has been exemplary. He has taken ownership of challenges and delivered under difficult circumstances, which is deserving of honors. Jonathan Katz '19 has continued his legacy of service to Florida Alpha, delivering on challenging financial and programming objectives over the past several years. Kudos to both these men. Our alumni continue to serve as excellent role models of leadership. Brett Ogilvie '86 and Bob Durham '69 have been stalwarts of our leadership team for the past several years. With the help of Steve Shewbrooks '66, both gentlemen took ownership of finding talented alumni to step into their leadership roles. John Sandstrom '77 will be replacing Brett as Vice President of Housing. Brett took on the monumental task of completing a $4 million renovation in less than nine months, and asked John to take ownership of the only remaining open item, an HVAC problem. John has applied his exceptional problem-solving talents and high energy to the challenge and is working through the HVAC issue, which has confounded our professional MEP engineers since early summer. Bob Durham has been a best-in-class Chapter Counselor at Florida Alpha for several years and has continued his legacy of superior leadership by identifying Jeff Opalko, Coastal Carolina '81 as Florida Alpha's next Chapter Counselor. Jeff is making an exceptional impact on the Chapter, mentoring the undergraduates as they took on the difficult challenges of recruitment. Recruiting the best and the brightest will continue to be an area of focus for the remainder of the year as we pursue a target Chapter size of over 120 men by the end of the spring. Going forward, Florida Alpha is focused on remaining recognized as the best chapter at the University of Florida and to be among, if not the best, SigEp chapter nationally. To accomplish these ends our immediate focus is on recruitment and material enhancements to our membership development program. Any pursuit of excellence requires resources, and I encourage you to consider giving financially and/or your time, talent and energy. For many of us, SigEp played an important role in shaping the men we are today and forming relationships with those we continue to call brothers. Our mission is to not only provide this opportunity to SigEps today, but to make this experience even better for them, and like anything, I think you will find the more energy you give, the more you receive. I am honored to call you each brother, and I hope to see you soon! HFF, Bryson Ridgway '05 President, Alumni and Volunteer Corporation bryson.ridgway@gmail.com for alUmni and friends of the florida alPha ChaPter no. 36 • fall 2018 Florida Alpha Boasts Strong Leadership from Undergraduates and Alumni Alike W e are pleased to report that for the fifth consecutive semester Florida Alpha retained the highest GPA among IFC fraternities at UF. Additionally, we had the most Florida Greek Standards points of any IFC fraternity and more than many Panhellenic chapters. These two factors combined to further our mission to provide holistic value to young men in the Greek community. This fall, we surpassed the 100-brother mark for the first time since coming back on campus. Our recruitment committee led by Reed Espy '20 and Oliver Hoffman '20 did an incredible job throughout the summer and into the first weeks of fall. Last spring, we had a full calendar of events ranging from philanthropies to weekend trips to Columbus, Georgia, for whitewater rafting. BUILDING A BETTER BROTHERHOOD Florida Alpha Surpasses 100 Members This Fall Brothers with Sarah Coleman, Sigma Phi Epsilon's Sweetheart from 2017-2018. Sarah is a member of Kappa Delta sorority. (Continued on page 2)

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