What are some of your favorite memories from Beta Theta Pi?
The whole pledge night process, where we got these bids, if you will. I don’t think it works like this anymore, but you literally got your bid in your mailbox, and you didn’t know who was going to be in your fraternity class. And the whole process of walking down in front of Fraternity Row and being welcomed by the Beta Theta Pi brothers for the first time – that was a pretty special moment. Also, as pledges, we would have these events and we’d be expected to walk down Fraternity Row with our hands on our brothers’ shoulders, and we’d walk in a row and sing songs all the way down the street. I think we had memorized 14 or 15 different songs. Those were really powerful. Even this weekend, I was at an event – my friend’s daughter was having her Bat Mitzvah – and we did one of the cheers for her. There were a number of us who attended that event. So I think my favorite memory was the whole process of ultimately becoming a brother, because you had to work very hard for it and it was a nine or ten month process, when that finally occurred and you got your Beta pin and bond number, it was pretty special.
I also remember we had formals over the holidays, and we would cover the whole upstairs portion of the venue. That was a week-long process to get that done, and a lot of it was just sticking branches to things. So you literally created this incredible green pine canopy – you couldn’t see the ceiling. These are just some of the experiences that come to mind.
What makes you proud to be a member of Beta Theta Pi?
The friendships. These friendships are so deep, and so meaningful, and so transcendent. I even experienced it again recently. I was back at Denison a couple weekends ago, and I was with guys that had graduated before I got to Denison, but you heard about them and you got to know their names. One of their classmates was being inducted into the Denison Hall of Fame. And they were so welcoming to me. My son was doing a visit at the university, and they were welcoming to him as well.
As a fraternity, we get together every year. Fifty to 60 of us meet in New York City in December. You just can’t put a price on that stuff. This spirit lives. The friendships live, and they’re real and transcendent and deep. You have relationships in college that, I would say, are not transactional; you are who you are, and these people love you regardless. For example, I’m President and CEO of a very big, public company, and it doesn’t go into their calculus in terms of their relationship with me. And that’s a big deal. It’s like, “You are who you are. We don’t really care what you’ve done. We love you for who you are.” That’s very affirming.
Why have you wanted to give back so generously over the years?
I was President of the fraternity, and I was captain of the football team there. I believe you put your money where your mouth is. I think part of that comes from my parents. They were always giving back in their own way, so I believe it also comes from my upbringing. But it also has to do with what a tremendous experience it was, and how formative that experience was for me; that would be a big part of it as well. Because it means a lot to me today, maybe more than ever, and you come to realize just how real those bonds are.
Do you skill keep in touch with any brothers?
Steve Kaye ’86 – he’s a year older, and not in my pledge class – he’s probably been my closest friend for the last 20 years or so. Our families have been really close; he’s a godparent to my daughter, and they were always so unbelievably generous to her. My son came with me to his daughter’s Bat Mitzvah. We live in Colorado and they live in New Jersey, so it’s not a small undertaking. Those relationships between my son and their sons, and between my daughter and their family, are a beautiful thing.
We also do this big event in New York every year where years upon years of classes attend. It’s just an incredible thing, and I think that’s why we get a turnout of 50 to 60 people every year that come from all over the country, as far away as Seattle. I actually have several members of my pledge class coming to Colorado in about four weeks. We’re going to do a football weekend, and I’m going to show them around Colorado and Washington State. Probably six to ten of them will sleep at my house, so I’m looking forward to that.
“The quality of one’s life is really defined by the
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We also had one of our classmates die of ALS. He was a marine named Patrick Teichgraeber ’88. That was very unfortunate. He died about ten years ago, but that’s something else I’ve seen over and over again; when the rubber hits the road in people’s lives, it’s brothers that come together.
You’re very successful in your career. How did Beta Theta Pi contribute to that?
I led a fraternity of 60 or 70 guys as President, and I think those are the kinds of experiences that are very helpful. You find out a lot about yourself – the positives and negatives. And you’ve got people that hold you accountable. We had things called “sessions,” where we had very open dialogues about what was going on in the house with individuals, and we were very candid about a lot of those things. So I think there was a lot of stuff that set the tone for my career, but obviously having the kinds of opportunities that Beta Theta Pi afforded me provided training that is even valuable today.
How would your life be different without Beta Theta Pi?
I just can’t imagine my life without these friends. My life is so much richer as a result of the people I’ve had the opportunity to interact with, and the relationships we have, and how complete these bonds are. It’s really remarkable. Being back at Denison with my son, with that older class – how they treated my son, and how welcoming they were to me – that’s just one example of how this works.
What advice would you give to current brothers of the chapter?
I think the quality of one’s life is really defined by the quality of your relationships. And I think that these relationships that you invest in while in college, you should continue to invest in long after, when you’re not in school anymore. There’s lots of research now and, frankly, it’s all about the quality of your relationships. And this is a very unique opportunity to have life enrichment throughout your whole life if you continue to make investments in those friendships.
What have you been up to lately?
I live in Denver; I’ve been here for eight years. I’ve been in Healthcare for over 20 years, and I’ve been a CEO for probably 13 to 14 of those. I run a public company that does an excess of $1 billion in revenue with 95 locations and about 3,500 employees. I’ve got two phenomenal kids – one that is studying theater at NYU and a senior in high school who is doing great. I’m in great health, and I think I live in the best place in the country, so life is really good.
Tell us about your Beta Theta Pi experience. Did you gain valuable skills that have impacted your career? Friendships that have lasted years after graduation? Let us know by clicking here to submit an update.