Alumni Profiles
Mark Coburn (‘93)
Mark was a small-town boy with big goals when he arrived at UMKC. Little did he know then that he would become a successful Neuroradiologist and Real Estate Developer.
Hoping that joining a fraternity would provide him with opportunities and experiences to enhance his undergraduate life, Mark
checked out various fraternities before deciding that Beta Theta Pi was a good fit. “Beta emphasized academic excellence as well as extracurricular involvement, including student government, athletics, and the ability to contribute and participate in fraternity leadership,” says Mark. And, of course, he found the social and entertainment aspect appealing. He happily recalls playing football and attending the parties.
Mark brought a sense of humor to the fraternity, as is evident with the explanation of how his Beta nickname evolved. “I assume I was given the name “Gomer” because I was the envy of all the ‘big-city’ guys. Obviously, a boy from a small Missouri farm town who shows up at a big-city college with a mullet and no understanding of stop lights conveys a great sense of power and respect to those who don't understand cow tipping.”
During college, Mark lived with his pledge brother, Tim Stout, and still keeps in touch with him. He also remains in touch with many other members of his pledge class as well as younger and older brothers.
Mark was actively involved in helping run the fraternity, but his goals did not originally include becoming President. Fortunately, some of the older actives and alumni felt otherwise and convinced him to run. Lacking confidence and concerned about the responsibility, Mark was still uncertain that he was the right Brother for the job. His fears turned out to be unfounded as he successfully served as President for all three terms of 1992.
Mark recognizes the honor as one of the most important events of his life. “In retrospect it was a turning point of my life… I went from ‘following’ the path of others and just gliding along through life to making important decisions, using my own ingenuity, and developing a sense of ability.”
According to Mark, being Chapter President was similar to running a small company. “With the help of the executive council, we built on existing marketing techniques to recruit and retain members. We also found ways to promote brotherhood and develop new friendships among all actives. And of course, we lived day to day on one of the key elements of business, revenues, and expenses.”
The Betas had just moved into a new house and needed to boost their revenues and keep down expenses. But Mark and the executive team took it in stride by putting new rules and systems in place that still hold today.
The small-town boy with the big goals found that his presidency gave him the confidence and self reliance he depends on today in his career in medicine and his business pursuits in real estate development. And that’s not all Mark carries on from his Beta experience: Two of Mark’s Beta Brothers, Jordan Page and Jeff Ondr, are currently his business partners.
“The largest impact Beta has had on my life is the initiation and development of leadership skills, self confidence, and a ‘just-do-it’ attitude. I find that many people talk about doing great things, but very few actually pursue these goals. I believe that is the biggest factor in those who achieve success and those that wish they did.”
With great anticipation, Mark recently attended the 25-year Celebration and says that his expectations were surpassed. “I loved it … I had even more fun than I anticipated. I connected with my old friends and made new ones,” he says. He also enjoyed the alumni flag football team beating the current active team. “We still had it after 20 years!” he adds proudly.
Mark is married to Candy and they have two young boys. Mark enjoys sports cars, fishing, real estate, travel, and of course, hanging out with the family. He still eagerly supports the fraternity.
“I feel like giving back to something that meant so much to me and accounts for much of my success in life. I also know that they are growing and may also be struggling with funding, especially when it comes to future capital improvement. A new, custom-built fraternity house is in the works. Current alumni can collectively help the chapter by giving a relatively small amount every year.”
Mark advises future Beta brothers to be active participants. “You will get out of it what you put into it,” he says. “If you decide to actively participate, be involved in leadership roles, and help make decisions then you will be amazed how much you will get out of it. The rewards will persist for decades,” Mark states.
Sam Page ’88
Sam is a well-known physician specializing in anesthesiology and pain management. He has been interviewed on the television news speaking in favor of supporting treatments for children with autism as well as other worthy causes.
But Sam is not just a hard working doctor. He has also served for three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives and is very active in local politics. Currently, he is a candidate for the Missouri State Senate in 2010.
During his career, Sam ran for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. Running for a state-wide office is much different than running for a local one, according to Sam. “I traveled the state with my family and made a lot of new friends. It was a great civic lesson for my boys. In the end I lost a close election, but I don't have any regrets.”
So it should be no surprise that this high-achiever served as President of the fraternity and participated in student government, as well as several social clubs and community service organizations. He even managed to squeeze in a Spanish minor along with his Chemistry major.
Sam joined Beta because he already knew many of the actives and felt that their goals were similar to his own. A natural leader, he eventually became president and credited his Beta experience as having a positive influence on his life. “I learned how to set goals and build a coalition to accomplish them. I learned how to motivate others to be successful,” says Sam.
During his term as chapter president for the fraternity, Sam says, “It is a lot about mediation and coaxing actives to give their best effort and divide up the responsibilities of the chapter. We had a good group of competitive guys.”
But for Sam, it was not ‘all hard work and no play.’ He recalls many fond memories of his time in the fraternity, such as the pledge class walk out, Halloween parties, live music, and hanging out with his best friends. “We had a lot of fun. We worked hard during the week and had fun on weekends.”
When asked about his roommate, Sam replied, “I won't give up his name, but he taught me that after two hours the snooze alarm stopped buzzing.” He had time for sleep?
Sam still remains in touch with a bunch of his brothers, including many from his pledge class and his pledge dad, Robert Ellis. “John Hickman and I talk about alumni events and long-term planning for the chapter,” says Sam. After attending the 25-year Celebration at Beta, Sam was pretty impressed. “I saw a lot of guys that I have not seen in 20 years. Everyone looked great. We still have a lot of athletes.”
So how does this hard-working doctor and politician wind down after a busy day? With his family, of course. He and his wife, Jennifer, whom he met in his medical school class, have three great kids, Logan (11), Luke (9), and Jake (6). “I am involved in our church and Boy Scouts. We spend a lot of time at our house in southern Missouri on the Current River,” says Sam. “All three boys are active in sports and generally good kids,” he adds proudly. As for Jennifer, she has her own practice as Medical Director of the acute rehab unit at St. Anthony's Hospital in St. Louis County.
Sam believes in supporting Beta Theta Pi and encourages other brothers to do the same.
“The UMKC Beta chapter takes competitive guys with a lot of potential to be successful and gives them the opportunity to build those skills. I want to see the guys that follow us have the same opportunities. All the alumni who enjoyed their undergraduate years should step up and help keep the chapter strong. As alumni we are all proud of the guys who have followed us. We started something that has turned into to something great! If you meet the current actives you will be impressed.”
Any advice for future Beta brothers? “Make the most out of your time. Work hard and have fun.” Sounds like a good plan. We wish Sam well on his Missouri State Senate campaign.
For Dr. Dan Kirse '87, Beta was Part of the Prescription for Success
At Beta Theta Pi, he is known as Brother
Dan Kirse '87, but today he also answers to another name – Doctor Dan Kirse. Dr. Dan is currently a Pediatric Otolaryngologist in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
After graduating from UMKC with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry (1987), Dan went on to become Dr. Dan by receiving his MD from St. Louis University in 1991 and doing his Otolaryngology residency at University of Arkansas (1996).
Even after all that hard work Dan, still didn’t slow down. He completed his fellowship in Pediatric Otolaryngology at Boston
Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School (1997). Before arriving at Wake Forest University, where he currently serves as Medical Director of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Vice-Chairman and Residency Program Director, Dan was on the faculty at University of Kansas and Children’s Mercy Hospital for five years.
Dan’s devotion to pediatrics is exceeded only by his dedication to his family, which includes his wife, Kathy, whom he met at medical school, and his four children: Nathan 14, Haley 12, Jacob 10, and Samuel 10.
How did this hardworking Doctor get to where he is now? “The fraternity led me to be an advisor for the Beta chapter at Washington University while I was in medical school,” Dan stated, adding that he feels the opportunities to lead and hold down offices with some responsibility helped him develop as a person. Referring to his responsibilities in the fraternity, Dan adds, “I always thought that it was a great privilege to be trusted by my brothers to do this work.” Living in the Beta Theta Pi house and interacting with brothers who had common interests in academic excellence was very motivating for Dan.
Since Dan was on the soccer team during his time at UMKC, it is no surprise that he still takes an interest in the sport. His main hobbies center on exercising and staying fit, in which he is a firm believer. (Good advice from a doctor.) “I do a lot of cycling of all sorts, some triathlons, and try to keep up with my kids on the soccer field,” says Dr. Dan. Just keeping up with four children sounds like a full-time exercise regimen!
Dan spent five years in undergrad and didn’t pledge until he was in his fourth year of college. He says, “I was only active for about 17 months before I went off to medical school.”
So what attracted this late comer to the fraternity? Dan says that he wanted to be a Beta after meeting guys like Tad Duke, Rob Rao, and Jim Milburn. “I can’t remember exactly how I met them….but I was interested in their ability to have an active social life, have fun, and keep their priorities in line when it came to excelling in the classroom.”
Dan lived in the Beta house during the only year he was active and shared a room with Ron Thomas, which he recalls as “a great experience.” His favorite memory of that time involves the two brothers ‘acquiring’ a Christmas tree together. “You can ask [Ron] about the details!” adds Dan wryly. (Although Dan claims he did not have a fraternity nickname, Ron may know more ‘details’ about that, too!)
Dan remains in touch with fellow tree-‘acquirer,’ Ron. They meet up once a year to do a triathlon together in Virginia. “I am going to try to get him to North Carolina next year to do a century bike ride up in the mountains….we’ll see what he is really made of!” declares Dan. (Ooh, do we smell a challenge?)
For future Beta Theta Pi brothers, Dan prescribes the following advice: “… be as involved in the fraternity as you can when you are an undergrad. The more work you do for the Chapter and your brothers, the more great experiences you will have, the more lasting relationships you will build, and the more likely you are to interact with the Chapter after you graduate.” Dan continues to say that college years are a wonderful experience, and that time should be enjoyed while you are there. “...You have no idea how much you will miss it when those days are long gone,” he adds wistfully.
When asked about his intentions to attend Beta Theta Pi’s 25-Year Celebration in Kansas City on October 2nd, 2009, Dan replied excitedly, “Yes!!! Made my reservations!” See you there, Doctor!
"Beta Brothers are the Best Friends You can Ever Have"
A lot has changed for
Jim Milburn ’90
since he graduated from UMKC’s Medical School. He is now a well-known
physician, program director and Associate Chairman of Radiology at the Ochsner
Clinic, with 21 residents and two fellows in the program.
Jim completed
his internship and radiology residency in New Orleans, Louisiana. After a
neuroradiology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis and a brief
period in private practice, he came back to practice and teach at Ochsner
Clinic,
the institution where he
trained.
“My specialty is interventional neuroradiology. I diagnose
and treat patients with a variety of conditions in the brain and spine, such as
the brain aneurysms, strokes, spinal fractures, etc...”
Another big
change from his Beta Theta Pi days is his family. Jim has been married to his
wife, Cristina, for 16 years, and has two beautiful daughters, Nicole, 13, and
Sophia, 10.
But not everything changes. Jim fondly remembers the Beta
football team winning university intramural championship and playing in the rock
band, the Recliners, at Beta parties. Jim still loves music and watching
football. He currently plays music and encourages his children to play guitar
and piano. Jim adds proudly, “Cristy has taken up the drums, and we play
together regularly.” He also enjoys the New Orleans’s live music scene.
Jim holds the distinction of being in the first class of pledges at the
UMKC Beta colony. With only a small Greek system in place at UMKC, Jim credits
friend Harold Wessley Duke III, aka Tad, as the reason many of the members of
the first pledge class became involved.
“Tad was an idea man. His
father remained very active with Beta Theta Pi throughout his life, and Tad
wanted to recreate that tradition with all of his good friends. We are all glad
he convinced us to give it a shot,” states Jim.
So, began the new Colony
of Beta Theta Pi. With the help of Tad's father, Harold Jr., and some prominent
local Beta alumni, Tad's dream became reality. Jim adds, “Pretty soon we were
singing Marching Along, Beta Lullaby, and The Froggie Song with three-part
harmony.”
Jim regrets not living in the Beta house, but he and roommate
Rob Rao had already committed to an apartment. They were part of a group of
actives who lived on the bottom floor of an apartment building near campus.
Eventually, the house employed a cook and the Brothers had meals.
However, Jim and Rob visited the house often. “It was a great place to
meet, relax, barbecue, listen to music, have meetings, and enjoy time with the
pledges. I was usually in charge of the grill, and "Milburgers" had quite a
good reputation,” remembers Jim. “I was the Social Chairman for a couple of
years,” and quickly adds, “I, of course, spent many nights in the house after
long nights of studying.”
Extremely active in the fraternity, Jim and
Rob played on nearly every athletic team. “We developed a great rivalry with
the other Greek teams, especially Lambda Chi. I still vividly remember turning
double plays, catching passes from Rob for touchdowns, and spiking sets, again
from Rob, on the volleyball court.”
After a great season in his next to
last year, the Betas won the Championship and were invited to the tournament in
New Orleans. “That directly led to my ranking the Ochsner Clinic first in my
Radiology Residency Match, meeting my wife Cristy in the hospital, and
developing my Neurointerventional career in New Orleans,” Jim affirms.
As
years passed, staying in touch with his brothers became increasingly difficult.
“Tony Sun is the main exception: We live near each other in New Orleans and have
remained very close. I have seen Cole Wheeler and some of Tony's best friends
every year or so around Mardi Gras or the New Orleans Jazz Festival. I suppose
the rest of them are busy with their medical careers and families, like me,” Jim
reflects.
After the recent 25-Year Anniversary, Jim hopes to stay
connected with many of his Beta brothers. “It is so easy to keep in touch these
days; we have no excuse for not staying close from the reunion forward. I may
even get a Facebook account like my daughters!” laughs Jim.
On a more
serious note Jim adds, “I want to thank John Hickman and the current Beta
actives for working so hard to keep the Beta website strong and connect brothers
via email.”
“Stay in touch with your Beta brothers,” Jim concludes,
“they may be the best friends you can ever have for a lifetime.”
Learning for Life: From Beta to Leader in Medicine
An accomplished physician and healthcare leader in Louisiana,
Dr. Tony Sun ’93 feels his time as an active brother of Beta Theta Pi at the University of Missouri-Kansas City helped lay groundwork for his success.
“[Joining Beta Theta Pi] was one of the best things I’ve done in my whole life,” Tony said. “The friends, the discipline, the social skills and experiences gave me something that no text book or M.D. degree could give you.”
Tony joined at the start of undergrad and since he pursued both Bachelor’s and Masters of Business Administration degrees at U of M, Tony stayed active with the fraternity for six years, from 1987 to 1993. He was recruited by Dr. Victor Dominguez, who later became chapter president, but it was the quality of the brothers themselves that attracted him to the fraternity.
“What attracted me to Beta was the fact that all of the brothers were dedicated to personal achievement,” Tony said. “Some of my fondest memories of the fraternity are hanging out at the house having one of our regular jam sessions. It was interesting that a lot of the brothers are physicians and most of them had musical talent. I played keyboard. It’s nice to have that balance of science and art shared through music. We played some classic rock like Pink Floyd and the Beatles, but also classical music and jazz.”
Tony also fondly recalls poker games at the Beta house.
“Even though I didn’t live in the house, it was sort of the Beta annex. All of my roommates were Beta brothers so we were there all the time.”
It’s been more than 17 years since Tony graduated, but he still carries life lessons with him. “Life is a continual learning experience,” he said. “We gained many things from each other that I believe we will all carry through life, like values of honesty and integrity.”
Tony stays in contact with many of his brothers today. “I went back for the 25-year anniversary of the founding of the Epsilon Lamba chapter. I’m happy they helped to get me involved in the alumni portion of the chapter. I was honored to be recognized as Alumni of the Year in 2009.”
Tony recently moved back to Kansas City after spending 15 years in New Orleans where he was the Chief Medical Director of Louisiana Health Care Review, Inc.
“I had a good Beta brother,
Jim Milburn ’90, who was in New Orleans. It was very nice to be in a new city with some of my best friends.”
Since moving back to Kansas City to serve as the market medical director of United Healthcare of Heartland States (Kansas and western Missouri), Tony has been even closer to the University and his old Beta chapter.
“Now that I live back in Kansas City, it’s nice to have that connection which keeps me closer to the University and the town.”
When asked if he had advice for current Beta brothers, Tony responded, “I think the Beta integrity is going to pay off for all of the brothers. They should focus on hanging onto it and hanging onto the relationships they will build within Beta. They will stay with you through your whole life.”
Tony stays active with the alumni portion of the Epsilon Lamba chapter. “I donate both time and money because I think it’s important to keep the chapter going strong and give new generations of brothers the same opportunities that we had. Alumni should look at what they have gained from their experiences with Beta and give back some of what you have earned, whether that’s a monetary donation or just giving of your time and effort. It all goes for a good cause.”
Tony has had a distinguished career, serving on various state organization boards, such as Louisiana Association of Health Plans, the Louisiana State Medical Society, and the founding board of the Louisiana Health Care Quality Forum. He also served on national boards such as the Board of Directors and Medical Affairs Officer for the American Health Quality Association and the Senior Clinical Advisor for the Payer Practice at Bearingpoint. He actively led the development of Louisiana health information infrastructure, and promoted adoption of health IT to improve quality. He was also appointed by the Governor to represent Louisiana on Southern Governors Association’s Gulf Coast Health IT Task Force after Hurricane Disaster.
Recently Graduated Beta Brother Makes his Mark on U of M-KC
Though very recently graduated, Scott Beeler ’10 has already left a mark on the University of Missouri-Kansas City and on his Beta Theta Pi brothers. Scott recently received the Vice Chancellor’s Honor for Graduates in recognition of both academic achievement and service in the community and on campus.
Focus on Charity“A big part of why I was interested in Beta was their focus on charitable works,” Scott said. “Joining the fraternity was a great opportunity to get involved and give back to the community in a tangible way that helps people.”
“I have been involved with several organizations and member of community service fraternity. We worked with Ronald McDonald House and St. Vincent’s tutor read program. I also worked with Keen Sports through which we would spend time and play sports with children who have physical and neurological disabilities.”
Scott’s interest in charitable works began in his childhood. “It’s something that has always been an emphasis of my family. I had the example of my parents helping in the community, and it got me interested in seeing what I could do.”
The Draw to Beta
Having joined in the fall of his freshman year, 2006, Scott was also drawn by the high academic standards of Beta. “I came from a small town in a rural area where the county population is 4,000. My biggest fear was coming to college and not succeeding. I talked to guys who told me about the professional programs they were part of and the tutoring programs Beta offered.”
“A brother who influenced me a lot was Sean Doran ’09. I met him early, he’s a year older than I am and had the same major in biology and chemistry then pre-med. He became a role model and a mentor, was one of the brothers who rushed me, and gave me advice throughout school. He was always there for me.”
Making a Mark through Student GovernmentScott was active in student government at U of M-KC, where he was a student government association senator and Vice President of Biological Science.
“I wanted to leave the school a better place. That was my reason for participating at that level.”
Scott said his main accomplishments with Biological Sciences was to form a Research Reception in which University faculty would come and present research so students would learn more about what their professors studied and more about the labs themselves. The hope is to encourage science students to pursue any interest in lab research.
“I remember when I was a sophomore, I took a genetics class and the teacher really encouraged us to get into research. It was difficult at the time to find the right lab, and it was intimidating not knowing the teachers who were doing research. A lot of research assistance comes from building a connection with the teacher, but in mass lectures of 300 people, that’s not easy to do. My hope was to provide a better avenue for students to find a way to get to know their professors and become involved. Overall, I’m really happy with the Research Reception program.”
Scott worked directly with the dean to talk about ways to improve life for biological science students. Topics included classes offered, improvements to the web site and advising.
Studying Medicine
Soon Scott will be attending Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tenn. to study in their MD program, a decision that he says was influenced by his brothers at Beta.
“Originally, I came to school for Pharmacology, but I came to the conclusion that it just wasn’t enough patient contact. That was my draw to medicine, seeing the patients and helping to make a difference in their lives. My Beta brothers were very supportive of my goals and helped me to come to this conclusion. Right now I’m interested in a lot of things and very open to different types of medicine. I’ve thought about orthopedic surgery and pediatric hematology oncology.”
Still living in the Beta house at the time of the interview, Scott admitted that he leaves with some trepidation.
“I’ll miss the people, my brothers, and the closeness of the group of best friends I’ve ever had,” Scott said. “I probably won’t see most of them a whole lot. But I’m looking forward to new opportunities and I hope to stay in touch and take part in alumni events. I do look forward to future opportunities and since so many of the brothers are going on to be physicians no doubt I’ll be practicing with some of them.”
Beta Brother Benefits through Life from Balance of Social and Academic Focus in Brotherhood
Paul G. Gauger, M.D. ’91 is now Professor of Surgery in the Department of Medical Education at the University of Michigan Medical School but he credits some of his early development to his time with Beta.
“Looking back I can see the chapter was a clear positive influence on me,” Paul said. “I was an active brother for six years, through both my BA and my medical degree. In med school at the time you run the risk of being so serious so fast. Beta provided a great way to work hard and play hard and remain well rounded in a typical college way.”
Paul was attracted to the chapter from the beginning because of their mix of academic and social standards.
“At that time it was a fairly new chapter that represented a good mix of people,” Paul said. “They were academically focused and socially focused as well. It was a great social structure of outgoing people who were also into academics.”
He also appreciated the opportunity to be part of something new.
“At that point Greek life on campus was relatively limited. I was in the second pledge class of Epsilon Lamba Chapter,” said Paul. “But immediately the chapter rose to the forefront of local Greek life. It was great to be part of something and help build it into something that would last.”
As Paul helped to build the profile of the Chapter on campus, it also helped him succeed in his academics.
“Beta had a classic peer teaching program, with brothers holding each other accountable for academic pursuits,” said Paul. “We had study groups and there was always someone to turn to who had taken the class before you and could help steer you in the right direction if you needed it.”
When asked about the great concentration of brothers in the medical field in his Beta chapter, Paul said, “That was something of a local anomaly because of the way the degree program works it so happens that a lot of the initial pledge class were people that would become doctors and like me they could stay active brothers for six years if they were getting their M.D. But there was a lot of diversity as well. It was a great mix of interests that helped pull you out of your element.”
Of course, Beta wasn’t all about academics for Paul. He fondly recalls being part of a band while an active brother.
“I was in a band that played locally called the Recliners,” Paul said. “Other brothers in the band included Jim Milburn and Steve Platts. Steve is still a professional musician playing in Kansas. We did mostly college alternative like The Cure and Elvis Costello.”
Overall, Paul thinks very fondly of his time with Beta and values the life experiences he had and relationships he built while with the fraternity.
“You make a lot of intense friendships with people who are facing the same challenges and going through the same time in life as you. It’s an easy way to meet people and be part of a very close community, especially when you are living in the house.”
When asked what advice he has for current brothers, Paul answered “Hold true to the ideal of the fraternity and you will find it benefits your college career and changes your values in a positive way.
“As you go through life, you will run into people that were part of Beta at different campuses – I’ve run into Betas throughout my life. After med school I trained in general surgery and the program director had been a Beta. He greeted me as a Beta and I had a sort of entrée from the very beginning with him.”
Paul lives in Michigan now so isn’t able to donate as much time directly to the chapter as he would like but he does pledge financial support and believes in preserving Beta for future generations of brothers. “We want to support others in having the same opportunities and experiences we had,” he explained.
As a physician, Paul’s clinical expertise is focused on the field of endocrine surgery and his research activities concentrate on clinical issues in endocrine surgery.
In addition, Paul serves as the Associate Program Director for the general surgery residency and as Associate Chair for Education in the Department of Surgery. He spearheaded the development and institutional implementation of MedHub, an integrated Web-based process for graduate medical education administration and evaluation.
“I certainly support Beta Theta Pi as it provides young men with lifelong lessons and friendships, making the college experience so much more valuable.” –Tim Stout
One of the unique and attractive features of Greek Life is that you can get as involved in the fraternity as you want. Tim Stout ’93 was one of those brothers who hit the ground running from the second he became a Beta Theta Pi pledge.
Having two parents who were Greek during their undergraduate careers, Tim followed his mother’s suggestion to explore what Beta was all about. After becoming familiar with 
the ideals of the fraternity, Tim was convinced that this was a place he belonged. “Once I realized there was a good mix of guys in Beta that had similar interests who were successful academically, athletically, and socially, I felt that was where I wanted to be,” Tim said.
Tim came to UMKC to pursue a degree in medicine and wanted to be sure that he established his grades before attempting the pledge process. After he had a semester under his belt, Tim became a pledge of Beta Theta Pi along with some of his med school classmates. “I have many fond memories of pledgeship, but mainly the camaraderie we shared during the experience stands out,” Tim said.
Throughout his time as an active, Tim served in many different leadership positions within the fraternity. Beginning by working with the very next pledge class after his, he worked his way through many other roles including VP of House Affairs and the creation of the Sisson Award application, which the chapter won the following summer. Soon after, Tim was elected President, a time that coincided with the moving of the chapter house from a temporary location to a new on-campus chapter house. After his term of President had concluded, he served as the first Risk Manager as well as the Greek Week Chapter Delegate. Tim added, “I also was honored to be chosen as the guide for a ceremonial initiation held at the Midwest Beta conclave requiring me to recite the entire dialogue from memory.”
While each of his leadership terms appeared to pass with ease, he pointed out that it wasn’t always smooth sailing. “I learned by trial and error how to work with the elected leadership of the house as well as the actives and alumni advisors to try and create a good place for the brothers to live and have fun within the framework mandated by the university,” Tim said.
Dealing with such a wide range of ages and personalities can be difficult, but Tim learned from each of those experiences and still references them to this day. “The lessons learned in how to participate with a group of guys to accomplish a common goal as well as learning leadership skills were greatly beneficial as a physician in a group practice as well as being a husband and father,” he said. “I also learned about
diversity and understanding, how a group of people can have varying beliefs, backgrounds, and values much different from my own yet realizing we still could get along and work together towards a common goal.”
All of this was accomplished while being enrolled in UMKC’s six-year medical program which Tim graduated from in 1995 and began a one-year internship at Truman Medical Center in transitional medicine. He completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Kansas and was honored to receive the Alan C. Reilly Resident of the Year Award, serving as Chief Resident in his final year of residency. “Once I finished there in 1999, I pursued a two-year fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery in Lexington, KY and then joined Discover Vision Centers in Kansas City in August 2001 where I currently practice,” Tim said.
With so much dedication to the fraternity and such a rigid course load throughout all his years of school, it’s amazing that Tim had any time for himself. However it was at a Beta party in 1991 that he met Shawna who would eventually become his wife. Being introduced by a mutual friend who was a sorority sister of Shawna and girlfriend (now wife) of fraternity brother Cameron Hodges ‘93, the couple was married in 1995. Together they have two children, Cade, 8 and Kaitlyn, 5.
Tim feels it’s incredibly important to support the chapter even after the undergraduate days are over because of the bond he still feels to the fraternity. “Maintaining contact with Beta is important to give back to the organization that provided all of us with so many great opportunities and relationships,” he said.
His advice for the current chapter is to “enjoy the moment and make the most of your opportunities. Maintain and continue your friendships with your brothers and continue the standard of excellence that Beta Theta Pi represents not only in the Epsilon Lambda chapter at UMKC but nationwide.”
We commend Tim for his continued dedication to Beta Theta Pi and appreciate all that he has given to the fraternity both past and present.