SigEp alumnus and national volunteer, Tom Barton, Loras ’89, received the Wells Fargo Premier Advisor Spirit Award on Saturday, August 13 in Colorado Springs.

The Wells Fargo Premier Advisor Spirit Award is presented annually to one of the top 1% of producers at Wells Fargo who exemplifies commitment to their community through leadership, volunteering and philanthropy.

According to the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Barton remained unaware of the distinction when he arrived at the event. It wasn’t until his baby picture appeared on stage that he realized what was about to happen.

“It’s completely overwhelming,” he said of the award, given in recognition of service to the community. “Nobody volunteers in the community so that they can be recognized. That’s not how it works. So when recognition does come your way, it’s almost disorienting.”

After receiving the award, Wells Fargo officials took plaster impressions of Barton’s hands. The mold will be used to create hands that will be displayed at the company’s home office.

Tom Barton has been invovled with SigEp for more than 25 years. He is currently a member of the National Advancement Council and Lifetime Trustee of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation. He has served many chapters as chapter counselor and AVC member and helped engineer a major turn-around at the University of Iowa, where the chapter won its first two Buchanan Cups when Tom served as chapter counselor. He started two chapters as a volunteer, Iowa Theta at Northern Iowa and Wisconsin Theta at Wisconsin-Platteville.  He was a pioneer of the Balanced Man Program, co-authoring many of the materials and selling it to more chapters than anyone else. He served as district governor for Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota and Michigan. He then served on the national leadership committee, overseeing new member programming, Carlson, Conclave and Tragos Quest to Greece. Tom’s a SigEp Foundation Board of Governors member and major donor. He co-founded the NUTS! McAuliffe Society. He is a proud recipient of the SigEp Distinguished Alumnus Award.

Tom is the founder and president of Barton Wealth Management in Dubuque, Iowa. He’s an elected official on the Dubuque Schools Board of Education and has spearheaded a quarter of a billion dollars in building expansion and renovation projects in his beloved hometown. He’s a past chairman of the board for the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce.  

He lives in Dubuque with his wife, Barb, and his daughter, Katie, and his son, Matt. Tom credits his personal and career success almost entirely to SigEp. Tom says SigEp relentlessly pushed him to set more goals, tougher goals, and to set those goals in all areas of his own balanced man life. He’s a “volunteer’s volunteer” who still loves working with undergrads. And today he’s really looking forward to working with you.