Each 3 to 4 months a new alumnus will be interviewed and spotlighted here.

Ken Johnson Showing Life Long Commitment. By: Ben Stanfield Name: Ken Johnson Initiation Date: Fall 1978

Ken Johnson is successful, healthy, and a good time to be around. Ken is involved with the Republican National Committee, and hopes his good friend John McCain can win the White House this fall. Johnson became our brother in the fall of 1978, the second Eta Phi pledge class. Ken is currently the regional director of the southeast United States and the Caribbean area for UCB Bio Pharmaceuticals. This is the fifth largest company of its type in the world.

Ken decided to attend Troy University because it was close to his "adopted" home of Dothan, Alabama. Johnson graduated from Dothan High School in 1976, after moving to the area from Washington D.C. Troy seemed like the best option for Johnson, and the rest of his life was shaped from that decision. "I gained lifelong friendships from Sigma Chi," Johnson said. The lifelong friendships he talked about have helped him through tough times.

"Sigma Chi is a lifelong commitment. For many years I turned my back on it. I was too busy with my personal life and my professional life," Johnson said. "I'm an only child, and my mother died of cancer. That's when I realized I had all of these brothers around me. We are brothers for life. I hadn’t done my part to serve my chapter and my brothers."

Ken went to the Eta Phi Alumni Golf Tournament the year of his mother’s death, and the experience changed his life.

"I went to the golf tournament and it was the best decisions I had made in a long time. I’ll never miss another one," Johnson said.

Ken is actively involved in the Eta Phi Foundation as a board member, and is looking at new ways to get all of our alumni involved with the chapter.

"A lot of guys don’t know how enriched they would be by getting back involved. When you leave the chapter, you’re still a Sigma Chi and the commitment is for a lifetime," Johnson said.

"I have a passion to make sure that Eta Phi continues. I have a passion to make sure that we get back some of our alumni. I want to bring brothers back in that have been away for whatever reason, and get us all involved with the chapter," Johnson said.

Johnson, and the foundation, has big plans for the chapter’s future. The Eta Phi foundation gave out scholarships to undergraduate brothers whom have not only upheld their commitment to the chapter, but have also excelled in the classroom. The foundation has many more ideas and plans for the chapter, but will need strong involvement to make it all reality.

"We have over a thousand alumni and we should all carve out time to help this fraternity and this chapter move ahead," Johnson said.

With all of this talk about involvement and planning, there has to be a time set for the brothers to meet and re-establish a relationship that may have been lost. That meeting will take place at homecoming this fall in Troy. Homecoming is scheduled for November 8th. There is an alumni party scheduled, as well as tailgating and parties at the chapter house that night. This will be a great opportunity for not only Ken, but for anyone, to share their ideas on how our chapter can become the best it can be.

Ken Johnson is living a lifetime for Sigma Chi, and urges his brothers to keep searching for what we are all looking for, and stay involved with Eta Phi.

Name: Thomas DeBrosse Current Location: Sarasota, FL Initiation Date: January 24, 1987 Big Brother: Chuck Rutledge Major: Finance, also received MBA

Are you Married?
Yes. Her name is Brandy. They met at a bank, hit it off and married in ’99

Do you have any children?
Yes 3 - Jenna(16), Austin(14), Jonas(5)

What have you been up to since college?
Been involved in finance, spends time with family, enjoys sports and live music, collects antiques as a hobby

Memories of College and Sigma Chi
The parties, relationships, years spent living in the house. Growing up and becoming a man through Sigma Chi. Still keeps up with some brothers. Also the Pro Consul a couple of times.

When was the last time you were back to visit?
Homecoming and last year’s banquet. He owns a house 15 miles outside of town.

Advice for an undergraduate?
You get out what you put in. The more time you spend with Sigma Chi and staying around, not just for the parties, but everything in between, from setting up to hanging out at the house, the greater effect it will have on you. If you only come around occasionally, like for parties and such, you are missing out on an opportunity that can be tremendously rewarding. Sigma Chi is a great place to grow up as a man and get ready for life after college.

He was also involved in setting up the Sigma Chi Foundation for the Eta Phi chapter.