Sigma Phi Epsilon - Kansas State University

Kansas Beta Alumnus Shares Kansas Beta Experience Spotlight on Jon Congleton '84 W hen Jon Congleton '84 met the members of Sigma Phi Epsilon he knew he found the sense of brotherhood he was looking for. "The members were engaging, bright, certainly fun, and they had a real sense of brotherhood that I did not see in the other fraternities." From his experience, Jon shares advice for undergraduates. "As someone who now hires people, I am more interested in diversity of skills, interest and experience than I am in grade points. Be curious in your life and try new things. This curiosity will test you and stretch you and you will be better for it. Also, have fun and make what you are doing fun." Jon was a proud member of Kansas Beta, serving as the activities chairman, social chairman and secretary. "I felt a great deal of pride and fondness for what SigEp had accomplished before I joined, for what we achieved during my time, and what SigEp has continued to deliver since my departure." Jon graduated Kansas State University with a bachelor's degree in marketing and a minor in microbiology. He is the senior vice president and global head of Teva Pharmaceuticals Central Nervous System (CNS) franchise. "I run the CNS franchise for Teva leading the global commercialization of a six-billion dollar business unit. I help our various markets commercialize medicines focused on multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, pain, and other CNS disorders. As the team lead, I also work closely with our research and development team to development new medications to address unmet needs. Thanks to the efforts of Teva and the teams I get to work with, we have affected the lives of millions of patients." He acknowledges the important role Kansas Beta has played in his career success. "The most critical skill I gained at SigEp was seeing how very different personalities can come together and become more than the sum of their parts. It was not always pretty and it did not always go as I wanted it to, but it always succeeded. Those are pretty important lessons to learn if you pay attention because that is what life is like after college." Some of his favorite memories from Kansas Beta are in creating fun in everything they were doing. "My fondest memories are when we came together as a group and did audacious things. SigEp had never entered the Lambda Chi Alpha Chariot Relays. We decided the night before the event to enter the relays. We gathered our four fastest brothers, we found scrap material throughout the house to make a chariot (understand that other teams had custom made chariots), and we won the event the next day. That epitomized SigEp for me: the bravado, the ability, the can-do attitude, and the joy!" Those memories he made with this brothers have created a bond that has lasted over 30 years. "I stay in touch with my brothers all of the time. Others I get to see occasionally as a part of the Rob Regier annual golf tournament. I am also amazed at how those relationships that were forged over 30 years ago can quickly reignite as if time never passed. It speaks to how special those times were and how special SigEp is for all of us." Jon and his wife, Connie, live in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and have three children: Emerson, Calvin and Nathan. E-mail: jon.congleton@tevapharm.com Alumni Update CHAPTER ETERNAL Edwin S. Darden '47 entered Chapter Eternal June 16, 2012. He started one of the largest architecture firms in Fresno, Darden Architects, in 1959 and won numerous awards throughout his career. After his retirement, he enjoyed traveling around the world with his wife, Paula. J. Paul Duffendack '67 entered Chapter Eternal March 24, 2013. Following graduation, he joined the U.S. Army and spent a one‑year tour of duty in Vietnam. He received several medals, including the Bronze Star; he also received the Honor Medal First Class from the Republic of South Vietnam. Over his career, Paul worked with several Kansas City architectural firms and was a founding principal of CDFM Architects. Paul was an avid stamp collector, photographer, jazz music lover, K‑State fan, fisherman, runner, cook, carpenter, reader, tennis player, and golfer. ALUMNI NEWS Robert J. Brookover '50 and his wife, Janet, enjoy spending their winters in Sun Lakes, Ariz. E‑mail: rjbrook52@aol.com K. Duane Cousins '55 was inducted into the Arkansas High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 for football officiating. He lives in Benton, Ark. E‑mail: cousinsbenton@aol.com Robert L. Carson '59 lives in McPherson, Kan., with his wife, Judy. He does eyeglass mission work, and he spends the winters in Texas. E‑mail: bcarson2@cox.net Roger D. Wolfe '60 enjoys retirement and is in good health. He and his wife, Ruth, spend winter months in Surprise, Ariz., near Phoenix. (Continued on page 6) PAGE 5

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