Tau Kappa Epsilon - Iowa State University

2 Securing Epsilon's Legacy Brent Johnson '79 e-1316 Makes securing epsilon's legacy a priority Millard R. "Spike" Kratochvil Circle ($500,000 and above) Roger C. Underwood '76 E-1239 Gage Kent '79 E-1335 Society of 1915 ($250,000 to $499,999) Thomas Koehn '67 E-911 Fraternity for Life Society ($100,000 to $249,999) Anonymous Tau Kappa Epsilon Undergraduates Rudolph Nef '51 E-508 Charles Olsen '55 E-602 Margaret and Gerald Pint '55 E-589 Mullins Family Gift William D. Mullins '58 E-632 William Roe '61 E-702 Edward Droste '69 E-1004 In memory of Harms, Mog, Phil, and Lags In honor of Nat, Whiton, and Hardy Steven Sukup '75 E-1194 Brent B. Johnson '79 E-1316 Knights of Classic Lore ($50,000 to $99,999) George Burnet '42 E-333 Barbara and David Unzeitig '55 E-570 William Hoefle '61 E-699 Richard A. Carlson '70 E-1022 Terry Lutz '73 E-1142 Don Zimmerman '73 E-1153 Nicholas Anthony '80 E-1358 Cherry and Gray Society ($25,000 to $49,999) Anonymous C. Roger Buckmaster '49 E-424 Gene Larson '53 E-531 Robert "Mac" McLaughlin '55 E-597 In memory of Terry Quinn '59 E-635 Joan and William Tobin '64 E-811 Luca Berrone '75 E-1201 Brad Williams '78 E-1287 Thomas Hansen '79 E-1315 William Schaphorst '79 E-1327 Mark Reisinger '90 E-1654 Prytanis Circle ($15,000 to $24,999) Charles Ash '61 E-709 Beals Family Gift Larry Beals '76 E-1230 Michael Beals '07 E-2051 John G. Hall '77 E-1251 Triangle Society ($10,000 to $14,999) Thomas Mullins '60 E-675 J. David Prince '62 E-753 Mitchell E. Stock '65 E-819 In memory of Rick Burchett '65 E-823 and Herb Erbe '66 E-847 Ned Skinner '70 E-1037 Michael Yantis '71 E-1079 In honor of Spike Kratochvil Matthew Haindfield '91 E-1669 Fraters Society ($5,000 to $9,999) Norman Chambers '51 E-491 Alexander Neumann '07 E-2052 A fter a summer recruitment visit by two Epsilon Chapter Fraters, Brent Johnson '79 E-1316 found a college home at Tau Kappa Epsilon. "It was a natural, easy-going experience. It was the right place for me." Epsilon Chapter membership provided Brent with more than just academic support while earning a degree. "Being a Teke was a source of pride, enjoyment, and newfound brotherhood." The fraternity also taught him the value of hard work and prepared him for life after college. He credits joining TKE for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working in the White House. As a student, he volunteered for Terry Branstad's first gubernatorial campaign. He then volunteered to line up motorcade drivers for Ronald Reagan's Iowa visit when campaigning for president, as well as helping with future visits. "This led to a summer internship for the G8 summit in Virginia and ultimately a job upon graduation for President Reagan as an advance man. I saw and learned a great deal while traveling the U.S. and the world." Brent is president and CEO of Ringland-Johnson Construction, one of the top industrial and commercial construction firms in the Midwest. The company was founded in 1946 in Des Moines and later moved to its current home in Rockford, Illinois. Carroll Johnson, then Larry Johnson, and now Brent continue the family tradition. Brent doesn't see fellow Fraters often enough these days, but he enjoys reminiscing on undergraduate days with his pledge class. One of his favorite memories, "a simple joy in my heart," is serenading sorority women, inviting them to partner and build a VEISHEA float. "The night skies and 100 men, bonded closely in song, bring me pleasure." One thing he doesn't really miss is "being woken up in the cold-air dorm on a fine winter day in Ames!" Visiting the Chapter last year, Brent says the undergraduates "are sharp young men and represent the brotherhood very well." He believes the members have a great future in store and was motivated to contribute to the capital campaign so that other young men have the same opportunities he had. "I even had a figure in mind. Then Roger Underwood '76 E-1239 visited and, after we talked over lunch, I doubled the figure. There are many great things this fraternity does for our young members." Brent notes that recruitment and retention are the lifeblood of the fraternity. An expanded, renovated facility will benefit the Chapter in maintaining the tradition of a strong TKE presence on the ISU campus. And in turn, the improvements "will help foster deeper relationships, allow increased involvement in charities and, of course, help that GPA stay high." To Fraters who are hesitant to support the campaign, Brent urges, "Please don't say no before truly searching your heart, your memories, and talking to at least one Teke, reliving stories from the past." The fraternity is making a difference in men's lives, and Brent believes Epsilon Chapter is worth giving to. "Our house is a class act. We have a housemother, teach life skills, and have a whole lot of fun doing it all." Brent and his wife, Lauren, live in Rockford and have two sons: Michael, a senior at ISU and future naval aviator, and Logan, a high school senior. In his free time, Brent enjoys traveling with his family, including annual scuba diving trips in the Caymans and hiking camelback in Arizona, and bird hunting, which started with Tom Hansen '79 E-1315 in Nebraska and South Dakota. He can be contacted at bjohnson@ringland.com. W e are truly grateful to our early supporters who have contributed more than $3 million to the start of our Securing Epsilon's Legacy campaign, and can't wait for all our brothers to join us as we strive toward our $4.5 million goal. Donors who have contributed $5,000 or more are listed by pledge year in their appropriate giving levels. Those who donate $10,000 or more will be recognized on a permanent plaque at the campaign's completion. If an error has been made in recording your gift, or your name has been mistakenly omitted, we sincerely apologize. Please contact our campaign coordinator at alehr@penningtonco.com to make any corrections. Brent Johnson aboard Air Force One, in the President's private cabin, 1984. Leave Your Legacy on Epsilon Chapter Stay Tuned for How You Can Join the Campaign

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