2021 Conclave Award Recipients

Below are the brothers, chapters, alumni and volunteers recognized at the 57th Grand Chapter Conclave held in Denver, Colorado July 28 – August 1, 2021. SigEp is proud to support and encourage members and volunteers for demonstrating the values of the Fraternity in their chapter experiences, volunteer involvement and personal lives. To read about all of SigEp's awards -- both those bestowed at Conclave as well as others – click here.

Order of the Golden Heart (OGH)

The OGH is the Fraternity’s highest honor, awarded to alumni who, with great personal sacrifice, have given exceptional service to Sigma Phi Epsilon for at least 30 years. Each nomination is carefully considered by the OGH Nominating Committee and voted upon by the Fraternity's National Board of Directors. | More info

Recipient	Image	Description
Ray Ackerman, Oklahoma ’77		Rev. Ray Ackerman has dutifully served as SigEp’s moral compass for more than 40 years, especially in his role as National Chaplain since 1996. Impressed by his character, brothers elected him president of his undergraduate chapter. He inspired the recently reorganized group to focus and set goals, and in the process, becoming campus leaders in philanthropy and earning several Buc Cups. This early leadership set the tone for his alumni journey. After graduation, Ackerman served as a regional director on the Fraternity’s Headquarters staff, further solidifying his reputation as a wise and empathetic advisor. He later began volunteering with his home chapter and has served on the AVC for more than 30 years. A longtime chapter counselor, Ackerman is a model of integrity and brotherly love, sharing life lessons and providing a listening ear to anyone who needs him. “For the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon, you have been a faithful shepherd,” Bittman said. “Your voice has been loving and inspiring. Firm and dedicated. It’s been a source of joy and of consolation. And through it all, you have pointed us toward the pursuit of life’s highest ideals.”
Chris Bittman, Colorado ’85		As an undergrad, Chris Bittman past Grand President served as a chapter officer and joined SigEp’s Headquarters staff as a regional director following graduation. He went on to start 21 new chapters as expansion director and manage the traveling staff as the director of chapter services before launching a career in financial services. For the past decade, Bittman has shared his financial skills with SigEp, working to manage and grow the Fraternity’s assets as a member of the Investment Committee. He has also served on the National Board of Directors and Educational Foundation Board of Trustees for the past 20 years. He was elected Grand Treasurer for eight consecutive terms before serving as Grand President from 2017 to 2019. As the fraternity movement has evolved, his skills as a consensus builder have helped facilitate some of the most revolutionary changes in Greek life, including the adoption of the Balanced Man Program across all our chapters and establishing substance-free chapter homes. Award presenter Kief surprised his co-presenter with SigEp’s highest honor. “Tonight I get to tell you that you’ve been a SigEp hero to me … and to all of us … for a long, long time,” Kief said. “Tonight we get to place your name where it belongs. Next to Dubach, Freeark and Zollinger … Wheeler, Hasenkamp, Kerr and Doud,” Kief said. “And yes, next to Shawn McKenna and Phil Cox.” “You’ve been there through wins…and losses. Personal triumphs and the depths of despair. You eased those times with your humor. Helped us lighten the burdens. Always knowing that your humor comes from your heart. And your heart beats pure SigEp.”
Scott Carr, California-Santa Barbara ’86		Since 2006, Carr has served as alumni and volunteer corporation president for his home chapter. Although the distance between his home and campus has made volunteering a challenge, it’s never deterred Carr. Even when he was just getting his career started and beginning his family, he faithfully made the three-hour drive often and without complaint — and still continues to do so. The opportunity to impact a young brother’s life the way his was as an undergraduate makes it all worth it. Through his patient and heartfelt guidance, California Gamma has consistently won Buchanan Cups for chapter excellence and produced high-quality young men who lead in their communities. A longtime Board of Governors member, Carr has also shared his talents with SigEp on a national level. He’s facilitated at Carlson Leadership Academy and served as a Tragos Quest to Greece mentor. As a member of the SigEp National Advancement Council, Carr has played a vital role in the Fraternity’s fundraising efforts. “You have spent a lifetime repaying a debt of gratitude to Sigma Phi Epsilon,” said Past Grand President and Order of the Golden Heart recipient Garry Kief, Southern California ’70. “But, tonight, dear brother, we hope you see that we are the ones who are indebted to you.” “Your diligence, love and leadership have not merely changed one life … but thousands.”
Mike Duggan, Missouri State ’74		Duggan’s promise as a leader was evident early on when he was elected to serve on the Interfraternity Council as a freshman. That promise was further realized when he became a student member of SigEp’s National Board of Directors. He embarked on his journey as a volunteer immediately after graduating and has been actively engaged with his home chapter for more than 40 years. Intent on bringing the chapter back after losing its charter, Duggan took on the role of alumni and volunteer corporation president. His passion soon had other alumni believing the chapter could return stronger than ever. When it did return, he recruited additional volunteers to support the chapter. An early proponent of the Balanced Man Program, he served as balanced man steward for several years before leading a campaign to build a new chapter home. That effort has resulted in a top-notch facility that supports brothers’ academic, personal and professional growth. “You live out SigEp ideals every day of your life,” said Past Grand President Chris Bittman, Colorado ’85. “Brother, today we say thank you for your 50 years of service to Sigma Phi Epsilon. We consider it an honor and a privilege to call you our brother. We will strive to be worthy of your dedication.”

Citation

Presented to a small, highly-select group of alumni who have achieved uncommon success and stature in their particular professions and careers, and have brought honor to themselves and to their Fraternity. | More info

Recipient	Image	Description
Romero Britto, Miami (Florida) Renaissance		Britto, an artist and founder of the Happy Art Movement, has exhibited in museums and galleries in more than 120 countries. His art contains a lively fusion of bright colors and whimsical patterns and first gained public attention as part of Absolut Vodka’s widely popular Absolut Art campaign in 1988. Other brands, including Mattel and Coca-Cola, took notice and commissioned works for their own ads. His art is also widely collected, with Britain’s Prince Charles and Super Bowl champ Tom Brady among the many fans who’ve purchased pieces. Britto’s public art installations in New York’s JFK Airport, London’s Hyde Park and other locations around the world have brought joy to millions of people as they go about their everyday activities. His popularity has made Britto the most widely licensed artist in history, with images of his art found on everything from watches to neckties to a limited-edition Monopoly game. “At the end of the day, you can teach someone all kinds of skills, but you can’t teach somebody to be honest or kind — all the beautiful things we want in a friend or a coworker,” Britto said. “Once you have that, people get inspired, and they want to be with you, and they want to promote you.”
Jeffrey Dugas, North Carolina ’93		An orthopedic surgeon, Dugas is one of the country’s most sought-after experts on sports injuries and has operated on professional, college and high school athletes. He has innovated the field, developing an alternative to Tommy John surgery that can cut rehab and recovery time in half for athletes sidelined with debilitating elbow injuries. He also volunteers as the team physician for Troy University and as medical director for USA Cheer. In addition to running a thriving medical practice, Dugas is also an entrepreneur. He and a partner founded Dread River Distilling Co., the largest distillery in Alabama. The facility produces a variety of small-batch craft spirits and also serves as an event space. During the pandemic, Dugas shifted from producing beverages to making alcohol-based hand sanitizer and cleaning solutions. He gave the products away to assist local health care facilities and essential businesses. “The foundation of our clinic is focusing on the outcome,” Dugas said. “That sets a bar in our profession, and it’s the same in a chapter on campus. Guarantee the outcome for a young brother who is going to join — don’t settle for anything less than an experience that is so good.” After finding personal commonalities with each other recipient, Dugas said, “It’s amazing how little it takes to find connection between brothers, even though the four of us have never met.”
Jim McKelvey, Washington-St. Louis ’87		McKelvey is an entrepreneur best known for founding Square, the company that has revolutionized how small businesses process credit card transactions since its launch in 2009. Today, businesses rely on Square for its innovative card reader, payroll processing and a variety of other services. Due to Square’s phenomenal growth, the company had a difficult time finding employees with technical skills. So, McKelvey founded LaunchCode, a nonprofit offering training and job placement assistance, to bring more people into the tech industry. He’s leveraged his business experience in a role as deputy chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. McKelvey is not only a trustee at Washington University in St. Louis, but also supported his alma mater by providing the lead gift for a new school of engineering named in honor of his father, who was dean of the school for nearly 30 years. He’s contributed his wealth of expertise to SigEp by serving as a guest speaker for chapter events at Missouri Beta and Missouri Gamma. When asked which SigEp cardinal principle means the most to him, McKelvey said, “The one I think most about is virtue. We live in a more and more anonymous world — it’s easy to do things remotely. With the ability to be anonymous comes more responsibility to conduct ourselves as if people were looking. Virtue is even more important as we lose the oversight of others.”
Eugene A. Woods, Pennsylvania State ’86		Woods is president and CEO of Atrium Health, a nonprofit healthcare network with more than 70,000 employees and medical facilities in four states. In 2020, Woods oversaw a merger that added Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston–Salem, North Carolina, to the Atrium portfolio. With plans underway to build a second campus of the medical school in Charlotte, Woods is committed to training future generations of medical professionals. A former chair of the American Hospital Association, Woods has been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. Under his leadership, Atrium distributed more than two million masks in Charlotte and pioneered the “virtual hospital” concept in which patients with mild symptoms are monitored remotely to make hospital beds available for critically ill patients. Woods also sits on North Carolina’s health disparities and economic recovery task forces and chairs the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Woods said, “The SigEp values are only real to the extent that you use them and live them every single day in real action. When I think of Virtue, I think it’s akin to integrity and not being a bystander. When you see something that’s not right, take a stand.” He pointed to SigEp’s bold 1959 decision to allow membership without racial restrictions as an example of a virtuous stand. “We’re in a time right now when character and how you interact with people who have vastly different views — as brothers, how do we deal with that? It should start from a place of brotherly love — for people who don’t look like you, who don’t share the same views.”

Honor of Philias

Awarded to chapters or individuals in recognition of their special expression of the Fraternity’s cardinal principle of brotherly love. Recipients may apply for a grant through the Educational Foundation Honor of Philias Endowment to continue the work for which they are being recognized. | More info

In March 2020, New Jersey Zeta brother Tony Whalen, Rider ’97, contracted the coronavirus. Tony, a founding father of the chapter at Rider University, was an active and dedicated volunteer. His willingness to be of service could be seen in every aspect of his life, not just SigEp. He was also active in his local community, serving as a den leader for his son’s Cub Scout pack and in numerous other roles.

When Tony became sick, members of New Jersey Zeta AVC swiftly mobilized to assist. They scheduled volunteers to deliver meals to his family three times a day. Another significant aspect of the AVC’s effort was creating a GoFundMe account raising more than $150,000 to help cover medical bills and mounting expenses for the family.

Despite the best efforts of the medical providers and the many brothers who loved and admired him, Tony passed away on March 25, 2020 — one of the first SigEp brothers we know of to die in the pandemic.

The 2021 honorees were members of the New Jersey Zeta AVC at Rider University. In recognition of their compassion and great fortitude, the 2021 Honor of Philias was presented to the members of the New Jersey Zeta AVC at Rider University.

Clayton-Doud Award

Recognizes brothers who come to one another’s aid in times of trouble; brothers helping brothers. The biennial award provides $10,000 in scholarships to brothers who exemplify the relationship shared by Brothers Clayton and Doud. | More info

In February 2021, SigEp hero, past Grand President and Order of the Golden Heart recipient John Hartman, Missouri ’61, suffered a stroke. In his time of need, two brothers and dear friends stepped in to aid him — Mike Duggan, Missouri State ’74, and Zar Toolan, Columbia ’01. Week by week, every step of the way, Duggan and Toolan worked with the doctors, therapists, social workers and care facilities to help John as he regained his capacity.

The brotherly love that Mike and Zar share for John stretches back decades and spans generations. Through the years, they’ve shared family events and holidays together, started SigEp chapters, mentored countless undergraduates in Missouri and facilitated the Ruck Leadership Institute.

At the 2021 Brotherhood Luncheon, the Clayton-Doud Award was presented to Mike and Zar in acknowledgment of their ongoing love and support of Brother Hartman during his recovery.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fellow

Awarded to brothers who assume large-scale service learning projects that push service learning to the highest level and solve genuine problems within a community. Fellow projects provide hands-on experiences that teach leadership, mentoring, and how to care about and serve others — all essential steps toward becoming a balanced man. They put into real world practice our cardinal principles of Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love. | More info

Caleb Gipple, Northern Iowa ’21, was awarded the 2021 Fellow Award for the outstanding impact he has made on his local community by helping children achieve success through literacy. Brother Gipple created Reader Today Leaders Tomorrow (RTLT) with the mission to “remove barriers, expand opportunities and empower students in the Cedar Valley, Iowa community.” As RTLT’s programs were implemented, it also created a wonderful opportunity for Iowa Theta to exhibit brotherly love to the local community.

Buchanan Oustanding Chapter Award (Buc Cups)

Recognizes our highest performing chapters, the best-of-the-best SigEp chapters. Chapters are measured in relation to the accomplishments of their peers on campuses across the country. Only the chapters that excel in every area of operations and further the Grand Chapter's priorities qualify for this high honor. | More info

Gold Buc Cups

Chapter	Video
Maine Alpha - University of Maine (7th consecutive) Maine Alpha has recruited the right way for years. Committed to the Balanced Man Scholarship, they started a second BMS cycle this spring to bring in more members, year-round. Holding the top Greek GPA for 12 straight semesters, they won Chapter of the Year in 2019 and 2020. Chapter members lead in big ways on their campus … as student body president, honor society members and presidents of three club sports teams. With involvement from alumni, volunteers and faculty members, their Balanced Man Program and SigEp Learning Community programming meets the needs of members and emphasizes practical skills. This chapter is hyper-focused on professional development and preparing their men for success after college. They engaged 60 alumni and volunteers in professional development sessions, and 15 percent of their entire membership attended a SigEp Career Coaching session this spring. The chapter sent brothers to Ruck, and when snow prevented them from attending Carlson in 2019, they had a two-day leadership retreat for the whole chapter.
Michigan Theta - Lawrence Technological University (6th consecutive) With forty percent of all freshmen men applying to their Balanced Man Scholarship over the past two years, it’s clear that their SigEp experience is in demand on campus. With a chapter GPA nearly a full point above the all campus average, they’ve held the highest fraternity GPA since 2015 and have won Greek Day the past five years. With a strong Balanced Man Program, they’re successful in developing upperclassmen, enlisting alumni mentors from other SigEp chapters in Epsilon challenge meetings, and their Brother Mentor challenge emphasizes involvement with SigEp before and after graduation. With strong alumni support, the chapter had the most donors among all SigEp chapters in the 2020 Founders Day of Giving. They’ve also sent fifteen percent of their members to the Ruck Leadership Institute, and nearly 30 percent have already participated in SigEp’s Career Coaching opportunity.
Nebraska Alpha - Nebraska-Lincoln (13th consecutive) Sought after by potential new members for the experience they provide, Nebraska Alpha is a source of pride for its alumni. Nearly 50 new members joined last summer … in a pandemic — their most in five years, and over 130 undergraduate men call this chapter home. More than 10 volunteers actively serve the chapter by facilitating Balanced Man Program challenge meetings, and the chapter partners with a personal trainer who provides Sound Body sessions and mental health seminars. They are incredibly active in their community through volunteering at an after-school program and providing care packages for frontline healthcare workers, and they’ve also had an impact on the world through annual international service trips. There is a culture of leadership in this group — brothers hold positions in the IFC, Order of Omega, honor societies and athletics teams. With a $3 million house renovation recently completed, the brothers are set up for success in their living-learning environment, and they’ve built a culture of success grounded on SigEp’s values that has proven to be sustainable.
New Jersey Alpha – Stevens Institute of Technology (7th consecutive) SigEp is synonymous with leadership and making a positive impact on their campus community. When the pandemic started, the chapter leadership didn’t miss a beat in taking operations virtual — then advised other chapters on how to succeed in the new landscape. They launched a leadership academy open to all students to attend, and brothers lead exam review sessions for the entire campus community — serving more than 2,000 students per semester. While they provide value to the whole student body, chapter members also have access to incredible development opportunities, with Brother Mentors hosting daily virtual programming on topics like personal finance and mental health. They’ve been recognized on campus with awards celebrating academic achievement, programming and hazing prevention. Sixty-five percent of chapter brothers attended SigEp’s Career Coaching sessions this spring, and the chapter had two brothers selected for the Tragos Quest to Greece in the past two years. Thanks to the AVC’s investment in the chapter facility, and dedicated mentorship for each chapter officer, the brothers are set up for success for years to come.
Ohio Iota – University of Toledo (10th consecutive) The demand for the SigEp experience is strong on their campus — proven, as they received over 200 BMS applications this year. They keep their brothers progressing through BMP challenges in the BMP App, and they’ve held the highest fraternity GPA for 38 straight semesters. They’ve sent 11 brothers to the Ruck Leadership Institute in the past two years, and they’re clearly committed to bettering themselves and the Fraternity. Receiving every Greek Standard of Excellence award on campus in the past two years, they have two brothers in the top senior honor society, which only selects 13 students each year. In addition to engaging both the vice president of student affairs and the dean of students in chapter programming, they lean on their 25-member AVC for mentorship and support as they raise the bar for other fraternities on campus.
Oregon Alpha – Oregon State University (9th consecutive) With a huge sphere of influence on campus through partnerships with the university, they host annual, campuswide events on topics like alcohol and drugs, mental health and suicide prevention, diversity and inclusion, hazing prevention, and academic success. Recognized by the university as an affiliated housing program, they’ve shown a commitment to high standards and a high-quality living-learning environment. The chapter has implemented the BMP App for all four challenges, and each chapter officer benefits from volunteer mentorship. Their GPA is a bar-setting .3 above the IFC average, and they’ve held the top fraternity GPA for four straight terms. The chapter’s presence and leadership on their large campus is clear — they’ve won the most outstanding fraternity award for 12 out of the last 14 years.

Silver Buc Cups

Chapter	Video

Cornerstone Awards

Awarded to Alumni and Volunteer Corporations (AVCs) that have undergone major improvement projects on chapter facilities. Projects can vary from cosmetic updates to major renovations, from safety upgrades to new construction; what remains consistent is the hard work, thoughtful approach and brotherly love that goes into maintaining facilities capable of developing high-achieving balanced men. | More info

Recipient	Image	Description