Alumni & Chapter News

Alumni News

Issue: Winter 2021

We love hearing from brothers! Click here to submit your life update for the next edition.

By State

By Antecedent

Phi Sigma Delta

Alabama

Psi (University of Alabama)

David P. Nomberg, 1998, was selected as a Super Lawyer for the ninth consecutive year. He was recognized for Workers’ Compensation. Brother Nomberg is a partner with the Nomberg Law Firm in Birmingham, Alabama. He is the Chairman of the Heart Gallery Alabama Board of Directors. Heart Gallery Alabama connects youth in foster care with caring adults who provide the stability and guidance they need to thrive.

Steven D. Altmann, 1989, is of counsel for The Nomberg Law Firm in Birmingham and was named a Super Lawyer in Alabama in the area of bankruptcy law for 2021.

Arizona

Gamma Tau (Arizona State University)

Barry M. Aarons, 1971, walked in a commencement ceremony for the first time in December as part of the 50-year class at Arizona State University. Brother Aarons currently serves as the First Vice President of the Fraternity and is a long-time international volunteer.

California

Alpha Delta (University of Southern California)

Robert C. Jacobson, 1997, is proud to share the audiobook of Space Is Open for Business is for sale and available at spaceisopenforbusiness.com/book. The audiobook was meticulously coproduced by Brother Jacobson and Dana Dae.

Alpha Rho (University of California – Los Angeles)

Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia (CCF) is excited to announce that Alan H. Feldstein, 1977, owner and founder of Infinite Safari Adventures, has been named the recipient of Cheetah Conservation Fund’s Distinguished Program Volunteer award in celebration of the Africa-based conservation organization’s 30th anniversary.

“I am so pleased to have the opportunity to honor CCF’s supporters like Alan in our 30th anniversary year,” said Dr. Laurie Marker, CCF’s Founder and Executive Director.

Brother Feldstein and his custom safari company Infinite Safari Adventures strongly support CCF’s frontline conservation strategies.

Colorado

Iota (University of Denver)

The Chapter’s Centennial Celebration has been postponed due to lingering COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Save the Date for Oct. 6-9, 2022, with more details to come. Activities in the works include: DU campus tour, hiking in the foothills, tennis, city tour, brewery tours, tour of the Denver Art Museum, Iota Chapter house tour. Reception & Banquet in the evening will include a cocktail hour and dinner with featured speaker University Chancellor Jeremy Haefner, Ph.D.

Read An Iota’s Worth newsletter for full details on the Chapter and campus and also review the list of brothers for whom the Chapter is seeking contact information.

Iota of Phi Sigma Delta (University of Denver)

Marc B. Nathanson, 1967, has been nominated by President Biden as Ambassador to the kingdom of Norway. His appointment is pending Senate confirmation as of Nov. 26.

Brother Nathanson is one of America’s leading communications entrepreneurs and a noted environmentalist. He founded Falcon Cable TV in 1975 and in 1999, he became vice chairman of Charter Communications. Today, he is chairman of Mapleton Investments, a holding company, and chairman emeritus of Falcon Water Technologies. He was chairman of the United States Agency for Global Media during the Clinton-Gore and Bush-Cheney Administrations. He was appointed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2012 as representative to the Board of Governors of the East-West Center in Honolulu. Nathanson is the immediate past co-chairman of the Pacific Council on International Policy and Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. He is a trustee of the Aspen Institute and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Brother Nathanson has been honored by several environmental organizations for his work on water conservation. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver and a master’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a National Science Foundation fellow. He was named ZBT’s Man of the Year in 2019.

Brother Edward (Ned) N. Porges, 1962, shares a recap of a recent “Octogenarian Society” gathering!

After saying yes to an email invite from Harvey Volin, 1960, I told my wife that I am driving to Denver to meet up with my Phi Sigma Delta friends in September. ‘You’re doing what? No, you’re not driving to Denver alone, and that’s final!’ I mentioned my dilemma to a temple friend. Either I fly from Seattle or I drive to Denver with another person. Like me, he has family to visit in Denver and would love to go with me. So, on Sunday morning, Sept. 20, Ronnie and I departed, stocked with masks, sandwiches, and maps. My major objective: to visit my son and meet up with my Iota Chapter Fraternity brothers of the 1950s-1960s.

We crossed Washington and Oregon into Idaho and through Utah into Colorado. Wide open spaces, majestic mountains, small towns, national parks and monuments. Great Sand Dunes, Four-Corners, Arches, Pikes Peak, Continental Divide, Golden Spike and more. ‘This is America, and I love it!’ as my grandfather used to say.

My friend and I overnighted at some grand places and a couple significantly less so. We traversed rural countryside along Interstates; we slowed down along lesser traveled roads. We sighted deer, abandoned motels, one-lane bridges. It was great to visit with my son at his recently acquired Denver home. But the highlight was meeting on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. for dinner with the Iota boys. Sad to say our numbers are yearly dwindling. We came from Montana, Florida, Seattle, Denver. It was fun to reminisce. We had an impromptu quiz asking who remembered the house mother’s name (Jane Schriever); what was the pay-phone number near the front door (Pearl 3-9842), etc.

Nearing 9 p.m., it was time for we octogenarians to leave. Hugs, handshakes, promises to meet soon again and applause to Harvey Volin. Until we meet again, adios, zey gezunt, and be healthy.

Pictured left to right: Paul M. Gold, 1960, Herbert H. Galchinsky, 1963, Harvey Volin, 1960, Donald M. Alweis, 1961, Jack M. Kassel, 1961, Jerome (Jerry) A. Greenblatt, 1962, seated Ned Porges, 1962.

Theta of Phi Sigma Delta (University of Colorado Boulder)

Stephen A. Wandner, 1962, serving as a principal investigator, he has completed a report for the National Academy of Social Insurance’s Unemployment Insurance Task Force. He will be presenting papers in January and March 2022 at the annual meetings of the American Economic Association and the Association for Public Policy and Management. Brother Wandner’s wife, Marleigh Dover, daughter of Lee Dover, former General Secretary of ZBT for many years, is an attorney and reviewer in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Alpha Eta (Colorado State University)

Michael (Mike) S. Wien, 1973, won his age group at the 2021 Boston Marathon. His time of 3:29:34 (8:00 minutes per mile pace) was 27 seconds ahead of the next finisher in the 145-person age group. Brother Wein said his goal was to break 3:40 and finish in the top 10. “Today I lived a dream I never even dreamed about,” he said. In 1978, he ran his first marathon (New York) with Jim Mango in 3:29. 43 years later, he ran the Boston Marathon in 3:29: “I was very happy with both times.”

District of Columbia

Beta Psi (American University)

The parents of the late Brother David J. Kabakow, 2015, have started a campaign to raise awareness of his rare disease. The David J. Kabakow Foundation supports research and awareness of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and promotes education in the medical community. Brother Kabakow was very proud to be a Founding Father and they are asking for ZBT stories from his brothers. Details at davidjkabakowfoundation.org.

Florida

Alpha Omega (University of Miami)

Michael W. Weissberg, Ed.D, 1989, received his doctor of education in leadership from the American College of Education this year. Dr. Weissberg is currently doing his post-doctoral work at Harvard University. Dr. Weissberg is a member of the board of trustees for the Alpha Omega Chapter.

Georgia

Zeta Beta Tau Atlanta Area Alumni Association

Brothers participated in the seventh annual Zeta Beta Tau Atlanta Area Alumni Association community service project at the Atlanta Community Food Bank Product Rescue Center on Dec. 16.

15,049 pounds of product inspected, sorted and packed for distribution.
That volume translated to 12,540 meals for food-insecure people in the ACFB service area.

The Credo of Zeta Beta Tau and the Zeta Beta Tau Ritual are guides for a lifetime, not just for a brother’s college years, and the volunteers truly lived the Credo (Social Responsibility) and Ritual (Service) yesterday when they gave back to the community.

Illinois

Gamma Eta (Bradley University)

Gamma Eta brothers had a fun day of golf at Royal Melbourne Country Club in Long Grove, Illinois, on Sept. 17. Left to right are: Robert (Bobby) H. Sachs, 1971, Bruce Sherman, 1971, Marc I. Birnbaum, 1970, and Abby L. Hans, 1969.

Delta Lambda (Monmouth College)

The Delta Lambda Chapter celebrated its 50th anniversary of being chartered as an official Chapter of the Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity. At homecoming 2021, the Chapter had alumni from all across the country celebrate the Chapter’s recent success after being awarded the Brummer Cup at 2021 International Convention in Miami. Michael J. McGrath, 1971, the last remaining original Founding Father of the Chapter, is pictured next to the Brummer Cup. This year was the first time this award had been brought home by the Chapter at Monmouth. The men of Delta Lambda celebrated and honored Brother McGrath for the legacy he helped create 50 years ago as an undergraduate and pioneer for a successful Fraternity to exist at Monmouth College.

Jeffrey J. Bakker, Esq., 1990, was inducted into the Monmouth College Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Hall of Fame on Oct. 23. Brother Bakker is among a select group of fewer than 20 alumni to be honored with this recognition. The 2021 class is pictured. The Monmouth College Order of Omega established the recognition program to identify and honor alumni who have achieved top success within their professional area and have given back to their communities. He is an attorney in Downer’s Grove, Illinois, and a dedicated volunteer with the Fraternity, currently serving as Zeta Beta Tau Foundation Secretary and Chapter Advisor to Delta Lambda.

Rho (University of Illinois)

AJC Chicago is honoring Brother David T. Brown, 1982, and Suzanne Muchin with the 2022 Human Rights Medallion Award. This award is given in recognition of their efforts to build a more enlightened and compassionate society. The honor will be presented Feb. 8 via Zoom. Click here for details. Among the co-chairs of the event are Brother David Brown’s son, Brother Joshua C. Brown, Phi Alpha Alpha (The George Washington University) 2012, and his spouse, Alexa.

Indiana

Beta Gamma (Indiana University)

Robert A. Borns, 1957, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by Indiana University in May 2021. He is a Kelley School of Business graduate and a successful real estate developer. According to IU, Brother Borns’ dedication and leadership have ensured that IU houses one of the leading Jewish studies programs in the nation. The Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program cultivates every feature of a thriving academic environment — scholarships for students and support for faculty research, as well as funding for conferences, workshops, and visiting speakers. A major sponsor of the Rosenfeld Chair in Jewish Studies, Brother Borns also established the Friends of the Jewish Studies Program group. In the past decade, his generosity, in combination with his ability to inspire others to follow his lead, has made possible the creation of more than a hundred undergraduate scholarships and numerous internships, travel grants and graduate fellowships.

Maryland

Beta Zeta (University of Maryland-College Park)

Michael D. Epstein, 1967, is in need of a bone marrow transplant donor. Brother Epstein is working with Gift of Life, one of ZBT’s philanthropic partners, to grow the donor database and raise funds for awareness. Brother Epstein was recently diagnosed with a form of leukemia, Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), and is NOW in need of a bone marrow transplant donor.

He is a physically fit 76-year-old male of Eastern European/Ashkenazi descent with a splash of Sephardic genealogy which pre-dates 1492 in Spain. Brother Epstein, born and bred in Washington, D.C., is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, Jewish leader and political activist. He is also a brother, brother-in-law, husband, father, father-in-law, “F”uncle, grandfather, “great” uncle, cousin and friend to so many. The family is looking for potential matches; ideally ages 18 to 35, preferably of Eastern European ancestry with blue eyes. (But others may qualify!)

All brothers of ZBT are encouraged to support Gift of Life and patients like Brother Epstein.

Massachusetts

Theta Alpha (University of Massachusetts-Amherst)

Nicholas A. Penta, 2021, donated a kidney to save his father’s life. Brother Penta lives in Boxford, Massachusetts.

Alpha Mu of Phi Sigma Delta (University of Massachusetts-Amherst)

The friendship of Phi Sigma Delta was on display recently as they had their second Zoom call of 2021. The brothers on the call shared stories and information about their lives and that of their families. The call was well-received and the guys expressed an interest in doing it again. Brothers also discussed holding off on a planned reunion in Washington, D.C., and instead holding one in the spring somewhere in New England. See more details at the chapter website, including details on how to get in touch with brothers: phisig.atspace.com/intropage.html.

Missouri

Omega (University of Missouri)

Brothers from many graduation years gathered for alumni weekend Oct. 2 and celebrated Brotherhood for a Lifetime.

New Jersey

Beta Delta (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

Edward J. Linky, Esq., 1967, senior energy and climate advisor U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 New York, is also an adjunct professor at Rutgers in the master of science in business graduate program in New Brunswick. New Jersey. He teaches a course, Fundamentals of Sustainability, and is a national expert at the Environmental Protection Agency on energy technology models and relationships to sustainable development. He has published articles in law reviews and the United Nations Journal of sustainable development. He has been with the EPA since 1990. He has lived with his wife in Princeton, New Jersey, since 1975.

He is a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia.

Delta Pi (Fairleigh Dickinson University – Metropolitan)

Denzel W. James, 2019, in November took time to give back to the community. Due to his involvement as a brother of the Delta Pi Chapter, he donated four bags of clothes to the First Baptist Church of Teaneck, New Jersey, clothing and toy drive, as well donating a bag full of goods toward Fairleigh Dickinson University’s food pantry.

New Jersey

Delta (Columbia University)

Carter M. Reum, 2004, is an author, entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is most notable for founding M13 Ventures, an angel investment firm. He recently married socialite Paris Hilton. Read details on the wedding: people.com/tv/paris-hilton-marries-carter-reum/

Kappa (Cornell University)

Father/son Kappa Chapter legacy! Stephen E. Kesselman, Esq., 1978, was thrilled in early November to join his son Samuel (Sam) O. Kesselman, a senior and member of the Class of 2022 to attend Cornell University’s Kappa Chapter Parents Weekend festivities, joining more than 100 parents and family members. Brother Sam served as Chapter President last year; Brother Stephen served as Vice President 44 years earlier.

Gamma Delta (Long Island University – C.W. Post)

Leonard A. Greenwald, 1964, and the brothers of Gamma Delta mourn the passing of beloved brother David M. Barnes, 1966.

Gamma Phi (Hofstra University)

The true meaning of brotherhood. Steven D. Christie and Lloyd J. Levidow, both Class of 1980, hadn’t seen each other in approximately 30 years before meeting anew at Mets Fantasy Camp in early November. Their team won the championship – creating great new memories for a lifetime.

Pennsylvania

Alpha Psi (Pennsylvania State University)

Louis G. Gilbert, 1950, after 54 years in their home in Dallas, Texas, Brother Gilbert and wife Renee have moved in Dallas to the Legacy Midtown Park. Wife Renee and Brother Gilbert (now 92 years of age) are both in good health. Eager to hear from any ZBT brothers.

Alpha Tau (Franklin & Marshall College)

Morton P. Segal, 1950, is now 92 and still giving talks on “The Rise and Fall of the Catskills and the Comedians Who Made it Famous,” all based on personal background.

Beta Phi (University of Pittsburgh)

Jerome (Jerry) Wische, 1965, just celebrated 50 years living in Houston, Texas, where he has served as CEO of three non-profit organizations: 32 years at the Jewish Community Center; two years at HeartGift Houston, serving children with congenital heart defects from countries where pediatric heart surgery is not available; and two years at The Center for Pursuit, serving 450 adults with disabilities.

Currently he is serving as volunteer board president of Evelyn’s Park Conservancy, a public-private partnership with the City Parks and Recreation Department to serve as a neighborhood green space, especially important during recent COVID-19 spread. He is looking forward to resuming traveling around the world.

Rhode Island

Rho Iota (University of Rhode Island)

Brendon B. Scott, 1991, is currently a principal and managing member of Ferio Tego, LLC. Brother Scott and his partner Michael Herklots are former employees of Nat Sherman, a New York City icon. They purchased the premium cigar brands formerly owned by Nat Sherman in 2020 and relaunched the brands – Timeless, Metropolitan and Ancora — this year as well as our new Ferio Tego line. Any brother who loves cigars please check us out at www.feriotego.com or feel free to reach out.

James C. McGovern, 2023, is working on co-founding a nonprofit that provides scholarships to University of Rhode Island students. Dream Big RI aims to positively impact future careers by helping students pursue passion projects. See more at www.dreambigri.com.

Tennessee

Alpha Gamma (Vanderbilt University)

Gary S. Lynn, Ph.D., 1980, professor at Stevens Institute of Technology, earlier this year entered a graduate student team from Stevens in the inaugural Global Scaling Challenge hosted by the University of New Mexico that included 17 graduate, undergraduate and Ph.D. teams from India, Austria, England and the U.S. He mentored the team through the three-day virtual challenge creating strategies for three real-world biological companies hoping to expand or otherwise scale up their operations.

Dr. Lynn’s team won three first-place prizes including the Grand Prize in late April, sharing $20,000 in prize money. Each student team was only given two weeks to research, prepare and present new ideas to differentiate and scale three small to medium-sized companies working in various biological areas.

Teams were allotted 10 minutes on each competition day to present their growth strategies for each company to a panel of judges, which included the companies’ leaders, other venture capitalists and experienced CEOs, followed by 10 minutes of questions from those executives about operational details, markets and strategy.

Brother Lynn is one of three, tenured full professors in the School of Business at Stevens. He is cited as the No. 1 most published and referenced scholar in the field of innovation marketing (see Andrade-Valbuena and Merigo: 2018). He was selected by Business 2.0 Magazine as one of the nine leading management gurus in the world; prior guru selections include Clay Christensen, Peter Drucker and W. E. Deming. He was named twice (2003 and 2008), as one of the seven most prolific thought leaders in the field of Technology-Innovation Management by the International Association for the Management of Technology (IAMOT).

Dr. Lynn started, built and sold four companies. He was formerly senior managing director and chief innovation officer for Spencer Trask, a New York-based venture capital firm, that placed $1 billion in 130 start-ups – where he worked with a variety of CEOs and boards.

Brother Lynn teaches marketing strategy at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey and has won awards for both best researcher and best teacher. His first book, From Concept to Market (John Wiley & Sons), was a best seller with a foreword written by the world renown Professor Phil Kotler of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Gamma Mu (University of Memphis)

Dr. Zachary P. Nahmias, 2010, is working in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He started up a dermatology clinic for a hospital in town. No longer has 11 animals at home — only two cats and they are both sweet and easy-going. Closer to Memphis now, Brother Nahmias looks forward to hearing from other alumni.

Texas

Lambda (University of Texas-Austin)

Stevens Transport, the largest refrigerated trucking company in Texas and North America’s premier multi-modal, temperature-controlled freight carrier, has named Robert B. Solimani, 2009, as Vice President and Bennett H. Aaron, 2012, as vice president of its contractor division. Both will now serve on the company’s executive team as third-generation Aarons and both are University of Texas Lambda Chapter alumni.

Brother Solimani is responsible for overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations as well as managing relations with the top ten shippers, cultivating business development, onboarding new customers, managing regional divisions across the country and keeping customer service levels second to none. He began his career with Stevens Transport in high school as a summer intern. He subsequently joined the company full time in 2012 in a special projects role after graduating from the University of Texas. He advanced to roles managing the shop and maintenance programs, brokerage division, and was promoted to director of regional transport operations in early 2019. “I’m extremely proud of this accomplishment and look forward to the new challenges ahead,” Solimani said. “I could not have done it without a great support staff and operations team.”

Brother Aaron is responsible for managing more than 900 contractor drivers and a team of 20 support staff, overseeing business and financial support, driver relations, and operational support. He was promoted to executive director of the lease division in early 2019, and under his supervision, the contractor division experienced the largest net growth in company history, adding more than 150 additional contractor drivers while significantly reducing driver debt. He has implemented new, more efficient processes, created new programs and tools to increase productivity, and has contributed significantly across-the-board to the company’s training, safety, and operations departments. He began his career with Stevens as a college intern supporting driver recruitment throughout central Texas. Upon graduating from the University of Texas in 2012, he joined the company full time as part of the executive training program. “I’ve worked in almost every area of the company, but my true passion is taking care of people and finding ways to help our drivers maximize their income and set them up for success,” Brother Aaron said.

According to Vice Chairman of Stevens Transport Todd S. Aaron, Lambda 1984, “Robert is a utility player who can step in wherever needed with his vast understanding of the inner workings of the company and his strong leadership skills. Bennett is very process-orientated and innovative and has brought a new level of excitement and accountability to the company as he implements new programs to enhance the financial well-being of our drivers—our most important asset and the backbone of Stevens Transport.” He continues, “Their management philosophy, coupled with their proven track record of both financial and operational success, make both Robert and Bennett valuable assets to our executive team as we enter this new decade and look towards the future.”

Vermont

Phi (University of Vermont)

Ralph J. Robbins, 1968, founded a hospital in Israel and managed it for 10 years. He then moved back to Virginia to work for five Virginia governors over 17 years. He retired three years ago and moved back to Israel, where he is a news junkie and an avid photographer.

Virginia

Alpha Epsilon (Washington and Lee University)

Peter S. Trager, D.D.S., 1964, was presented the Award of Merit by the Georgia Dental Association, the highest honor it can give to any member, during ceremonies at its annual meeting in 2019. Now retired, he divides his time between Atlanta and Hilton Head Island.

Delta Xi (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

Bret W. Hrbek, CFP, 1996, has achieved the professional designation of Chartered Financial Consultant. He is with Edward Jones in Front Royal, Virginia.

Brother Hrbek successfully completed the requirements that included a nine-course curriculum, 18 hours of examinations and fulfilled stringent experience and ethics requirements to achieve the designation from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The training focused on topics such as the unique challenges of modern retirement income portfolios, income taxation, risk management and insurance, estate and gift-tax strategies, unique needs of different family structures and advanced investment strategies.

Hrbek has been a financial advisor with Edward Jones for 20 years. He can be reached at 540-635-8229 or visit https://tinyurl.com/4jrrxzn9.

West Virginia

Gamma Epsilon (Marshall University)

Months (actually a year and months) in the planning, and then the 2020 Marshall ZBT Gamma Epsilon Alumni Reunion was over too soon on Oct. 10. What a great time it was for James (Jim) P. Summers, 1970, and wife Lynda Setliff Summers and the brothers and sisters, all friends. Proving once again that Marshall Gamma Epsilon Brotherhood is for a Lifetime.

Phi Sigma Delta