Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Oregon

ΣΦΕ EARTBEA H T UNIVERSITY OF OREGON s SIGMA PHI EPSILON Oregon Beta SPRING 2017 SigEp National Housing Takes Over Property Management for Oregon Beta Volunteer for the Chapter Today F or the first time in a long time (or perhaps ever), Pat Latimer '68 is not the one providing this alumni update in the Oregon Beta Heartbeat. As he announced in the last newsletter, and after nearly two decades of service, Pat has stepped away from his duties of basically running every aspect of the Oregon Beta Alumni and Volunteer Corporation (AVC). We all owe Pat a huge thank-you for his many, many years of service, and if you haven't already, please reach out and personally thank him at latimerpat@comcast.net. Now on to what is new at Oregon Beta. First of all, you're probably wondering who I am. I'm originally a Midwesterner with many years of experience volunteering for SigEp, and recently, my career has brought me to Portland. My home Chapter, South Dakota Alpha at South Dakota State University, was founded as a Balanced Man Program (BMP) Chapter in 1997, so my experience with the BMP and SigEp's many leadership events is substantial. After arriving in Portland and following Pat's announcement, I was asked by District Governor Steve Ruttner to lead the Oregon Beta AVC reorganization efforts. I have very much enjoyed getting to know many Oregon Beta undergraduates and alumni over the last nine months and I have met with the Chapter leadership on several occasions. Importantly and perhaps impressively, the Chapter is now successfully executing the BMP and using it as the foundation for the Fraternity experience of all members. Chapter President Matt McGonegal '19 and Vice President of Membership Development Kyle Davies '19 are providing exceptional leadership and a vision for a better Chapter; you should be very proud of their efforts. Likewise, I am honored to now be part of the Oregon Beta SigEp family. The other biggest change that has occurred at Oregon Beta since our last communication is that SigEp National Housing (SENH) has taken over the property management duties for the Oregon Beta Chapter House. Through this service, SENH provides a full suite of property management services, including electronic leasing, collections, accounting, and management of repairs, maintenance, and projects. This also includes employing a part- time, professional property manager who inspects and makes minor repairs at the house on a weekly basis. This service takes a tremendous amount of burden off of the local Oregon Beta AVC and allows for more freedom to mentor undergraduates and support the long-term health of the Chapter. In addition, this gives SigEp undergraduates more opportunity to focus on recruitment, the BMP, and academics. Finally, I would like to make a plea to all alumni and friends of Oregon Beta to consider serving as an AVC board member. A fully functional AVC consists of three primary areas of operation, which are led by the indicated board members: • Management of assets (VP of Housing, Treasurer) • Alumni relations (VP of Alumni Relations) • Mentoring of undergraduates (Chapter Counselor, BMP Steward, all AVC members) Ideally, I would like to organize an AVC that can provide support remotely, but also take the time to visit Eugene two to three times a year for a face- to-face meeting with the undergraduates. I would like to reiterate that the amount of time and effort needed for property management has diminished significantly after transitioning this duty to SENH, but the expertise and talents of alumni are needed to give direction to the undergraduate Chapter and make decisions on the management of Oregon Beta's assets. If you reside in the Eugene, Salem, or Portland areas, we need you now more than ever. I have already met several dedicated alumni who are committed to seeing this Chapter succeed, so please, reach out to me or one of them to learn more about the many SigEp volunteer opportunities: Dick Allen '58, astorksnest@comcast.net Lee Kell '61, lkell@kelrun.com Brian Stewart '82, brian.stewart3@comcast.net Todd Ruberg '82, ruberg1@yahoo.com Mark McGonegal '88, markmcgonegal@comcast.net Brian Bell '06, bgrant.bell@gmail.com I look forward to meeting many of you in the future. Fraternally, Jeff Nolz, South Dakota Alpha '03 nolz@ohsu.edu (507) 535-0125 Oliver Saltzman '19, Matthew McGonegal '19, Andrew Beauchamp '18, Dylan Flyer '19, Kyle Davies '19, Kurt Milch '19, Christian Allizadeh '19, and Tommy Ainsworth '20 at CLA in Orange County, Calif.

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