Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Alabama

THE RED DOOR Barry Butler '82 Gains Skills Needed for Success E ven before he started his freshman year at the University of Alabama, Barry Butler '82 felt a connection to Alabama Beta. "I went to a party at the SigEp house when I came to orientation. I really liked the people I met. When I got to school in the fall, I went through recruitment and looked at the other fraternities, but I didn't get the same feeling of family as with the brothers at SigEp." One of his favorite memories with his brothers is the Caveman theme party. "We decorated the house to look like a cave and built lakes in the front yard. All the guys dressed up like cavemen and our dates mostly dressed like Wilma or Pebbles from The Flintstones. We had a really great band. It was quite an event. My girlfriend at the time, who is now my wife, Lisa, won the brickhouse contest at the party in 1980." After graduation, Barry moved to West Florida, which made returning to Tuscaloosa difficult. "We recently bought a vacation house in Tennessee and have started to come back in the fall for games. This year, I came back for Alumni Day and met some of the SigEps. I was really impressed with the organization and the members. I met Sam Sparks '71, who told me about the alumni room at the new Chapter House. I think that will be a great focal point for brothers to reconnect with 'Bama Beta. I look forward to being more involved in the future and invite my brothers to come back and be a part of the progress." Staying in touch with brothers has become important to Barry. "I keep track of some of them on Facebook. I have caught up with several of them over the years. Doug Rosebrough '79 and Paul Mrazik '81 went into the Air Force, like I did. Dave "Shark" Norlin '80 and Mark Pribonic '79 went into the financial field. I keep up with Farrell "Buffalo" Turner '78, who is now a hospital administrator, and Farrell's brother, Lance "Babe" Turner '81, is an engineer." In his professional career, Barry spent six years in the Air Force as a navigator in B-52 bombers. He began a career in pharmaceuticals, first as a sales rep, then a sales manager, then a marketing manager. By the time he was 40, he was head of global pharmaceuticals for Bausch & Lomb. In 2001, Barry decided to make a change; he was tired of corporate culture and bureaucracy, so he quit his job and started his first start-up pharmaceutical company. "I was fortunate to sell that company after 13 months, and then I just kept starting companies and selling companies." Now, Barry is the CEO of Point Guard Partners, a holding company that starts, manages, and sells pharmaceutical companies. "We currently own and manage eight different companies in the ophthalmic pharmaceutical sector. I am really proud that I get to work with my wife and children in the business. My wife is a medical writer, my daughter, Haley, is our lawyer, and my son, Colin, has an MBA and helps manage projects." Barry says the keys to success are vision, process, and execution. "You have to first be able to see in your mind what a successful outcome looks like. Then you need to work the steps backwards to where you are. That gives you a path to reach your goals. Then it is a just matter of executing the process. If you hit a roadblock, stop and refine the path. The important thing is to keep moving forward. I think this applies to every aspect of life." You can reach Barry via e-mail at bbutler@pointguardllc.com. O n Saturday, September 10, Chapter President Tyler Brake '17, VP of Communications Cam Craig '17, and House Director Mary Ferreri welcomed Alabama Beta alumni to the Chapter's Alumni Day. The Chapter's 50 new Sigma class members, along with the 133 active brothers, were also on hand to meet alumni. Drawings of the new Chapter House were on display, and everyone was excited to know that next year's Alumni Day will be held in SigEp's new Chapter House. The Alumni Volunteer Corporation (AVC) held its annual meeting as part of the day's events. Jeff Daniel '92 was elected as AVC vice president-relations and assumed the post on December 1. The other AVC officers were reelected for another one-year term: President Mark Salmon '87, Treasurer Bob Holman '69, and Secretary Steve Mace '71. During the AVC meeting, status updates were given regarding the new Chapter House, and Tyler Brake updated us on the state of the Chapter. We also enjoyed a lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, and all the trimmings. Some alumni who attended included Jeff Campbell '92, Eric Sanders '89, Matt Smith '93, Barry Butler '82, Hammond Cobb '72, Jonathan Worrell '70, Paul Robertson '67, Bob Holman '69, Sam Sparks '71, and Joe Judge '14. In their free time, Barry Butler '82 and his wife, Lisa, enjoy fishing the flats for redfish, nook, and trout. Generations of Alabama Betas Connect at Alumni Day 2016 Alumni check out new Chapter House plans at Alumni Weekend.

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