Denis Dieker, Wichita State ’77, has long been viewed as the glue that holds his chapter together. In addition to bringing executive leadership experience to the Alumni and Volunteer Corporation, he led the group’s $2.4 million capital campaign and mentored the chapter to five Buchanan Cup wins.

Dieker began volunteering with SigEp soon after graduation while completing an MBA program at his alma mater. He served as treasurer of his chapter’s Alumni and Volunteer Corporation and was such an influential contributor that he was asked to advise other volunteer boards as a district governor.

“I enjoy helping others unlock the potential within them, and I believe that is a primary role of Sigma Phi Epsilon,” Dieker said. “This in turn, helps unlock the potential of our country and the world. Selfishly, it gives me some perspective on my own life and my decisions.”

Dieker returned to his home chapter’s Alumni and Volunteer Corporation after three years as district governor. When he was elected board president in 1999, he made volunteer recruitment his top priority and set out to improve the overall volunteer experience at Wichita State.

As the volunteer ranks grew, so too did overall volunteer engagement. To bring new energy to the board and prevent burn out, Dieker implemented term limits for key positions. This made it easier for volunteers to try new things, transition into new roles and increase their understanding of the board’s many areas of operations.

With a larger contingent of volunteers on hand, undergraduate brothers enjoyed more frequent and higher quality interactions with alumni. More volunteers served as mentors to chapter leaders, and the chapter went on to win three consecutive Buchanan Cups between 2001 and 2005.

Before concluding his term as president, Dieker kick-started efforts to raise funds for a new chapter home. His expertise as a financial professional proved invaluable as he worked with committee members to raise funds, set budgets and develop plans for the new home. This vision and persistence resulted in the successful $2.4 million campaign. The chapter’s spectacular living-learning center, which features a library named in Dieker’s honor, has made SigEp’s Wichita State Chapter the envy of every Greek organization on campus.

Following the campaign and another successful term as treasurer, Dieker retired from the board’s leadership ranks in 2013 to devote more time to his passion of mentoring. He was eager to help the chapter break past a period of stagnant growth and develop a culture that matched the new facility. After a decade since the chapter’s last Buchanan Cup win, the Wichita State SigEps returned from the 2015 Conclave with the biennial award.

Although Dieker no longer leads the Alumni and Volunteer Corporation, his drive to get more alumni involved continues to make a significant impact. He has played a key role in keeping alumni connected as a longtime contributor to the chapter’s newsletter. And today, thanks in large part to the seeds Dieker planted, there are SigEps from every decade since the chapter’s founding serving as volunteers.

When Dieker was inducted into the Order of the Golden Heart at the 2017 Conclave, he expressed his deep appreciation for those who have made his work with the chapter possible. “This award is not really about me,” he said. “It’s about the people that support me, people that I work with and people that push me out in front of them: Jeff Gates (Wichita State ’89) and Joe Poston (’73); my family — my wife, Shirley, and my children — and my partner in business, Steve Nienke (Renaissance).”