Banker Banzuly invests time into the Iowa Beta Alumni Association, organizes July golf outing
By Greg Miller
Director and Chairman, Communications, Iowa Beta Alumni Association
As an SAE undergraduate at Iowa, Doug Banzuly(IABE ’86) never thought about banking as a career. Some 30 years later, the senior regional vice president now runs one of Wells Fargo Bank’s three commercial lending groups in the Northern Illinois/Chicago area.
Because of his passion for the game of golf and having logged considerable time with prospects and clients on the course, Banzuly has a lot of experience organizing outings on the links. So when he learned that SAE needed a social event, he was more than ready to step in and take the reigns.
"I am happy to help organize the golf outing,” he said. “Sure, I enjoy golf but I will really enjoy seeing some of the old gang from the fraternity. And if I can show off my club, so be it. And I was happy that my golf club would accept the outing because they don’t always do."
The outing is slated for Thursday, July 30th. The start time for golfers is 11 a.m. Lunch, cocktails and heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. Carts, one caddy per foursome, and other amenities will be available.
“For those that don’t want to play golf but hang out later, we will have cocktails and hors d’oeuvres starting at 5 p.m.,” Banzuly said.
Banzuly’s recent involvement with the Iowa Beta Alumni Association was the result of a conversation with brother Cary Shinzako(IABE '86), with whom he became friends during his days at The Lodge at 603 S. Dubuque Street. Shinzako and Banzuly have remained good friends over the years and planned to meet for lunch with another friend and fraternity brother, Marc Rosenow (IABE ’86), president of the Iowa Beta Alumni Association. However, a last minute schedule conflict arose and Rosenow could not attend. Shinzako mentioned to Banzuly tthat Rosenow would love to reconnect with him, and soon enough, Rosenow and Banzuly reunited in January of this year and the dialogue began.
“I spend a lot of time identifying and recruiting young people to work at Wells Fargo,” he said. “In my career, I have hired a fair share of University of Iowa business school graduates. And I actually have an SAE who went to the University of Illinois on my team. I still have a fondness for Iowa students. I want to give back and I have to hire people; so why not take a strong look at an SAE who comes from the Iowa business school?
Banzuly was a member of the original re-founding pledge classes. His pledge group was initiated at the Levere Memorial Temple in Evanston by the Supreme Council in the spring of 1983. During Banzuly’s time at The Lodge, he served as the chairman of the Little Sisters of Minerva program.
“I tell ya, that was 30 years ago and it is hard to remember it all,” Banzuly laughed. “But it was a heck of a lot of fun.”
Banzuly lived in The Lodge for less than one semester and then finished out his undergrad years living in the nearby Ralston Creek Apartments with Ken “Scoop” Leonard (IABE ’86).
As a finance major at the business school, Banzuly was looking for a jumping on point into the business world.
“I really wanted to come back to Chicago and never thought about banking very much but I was ultimately recruited by LaSalle Bank and entered their training program,” he said. “At the time, the head of LaSalle’s human resources department was a big fan and alum of the Iowa business school. He told me later that he enjoyed going back to Iowa City to hire young well-qualified Hawkeyes when he could. So I was one of many who fell into his web. I felt it was a good organization for me to begin my career, learn and grow.”
Banzuly also was attracted by the fact there was a way for LaSalle to pay for his MBA degree, which he earned from DePaul University in 1990.
“I was a good student and grades were important to me,” he said. “I spent a lot of time to earn the better marks and I left school with a fairy decent profile. But honestly, I never thought I’d be a banker; and now I’ve done if for 30 years."
After graduation in May 1986, Banzuly started working at LaSalle a month later, in June. Banzuly worked at LaSalle for the most part of 20 years but did leave for a short time in the middle of his time there. After eight years at LaSalle, Banzuly went to work for Bank One and Harris Bank before going back to LaSalle for another 10 years.
Before LaSalle was bought by Bank of America in 2007, Banzuly was given the opportunity to start up a commercial banking team at Wells Fargo. His team focuses on Chicago-related accounts that have annual sales in the $20 million to $1 billion range.
"Most of my team’s clients are family owned,” he said. “These companies have employee bases of 75 and up."
Banzuly is married to his wife, Sheri, of 26 years. They have two children; Ellese, who is a junior at Miami of Ohio and a son, Justin, who is finishing his junior year at Deerfield High School. Doug and Sheri met as freshman in Iowa City during a dorm floor exchange. During their junior year, the relationship blossomed and they soon became college sweethearts.
"Doug Banzuly is a True Gentleman and a genuine Brother Hero. We are very lucky to have him," said Rosenow. "His generosity and kindness will help younger alumni succeed in life. Its all about brothers helping brothers."
To learn more about networking with Doug, please click here
House Corporation Update: Refinance, line of credit, and year one extension of lease to TKE
The Iowa Beta Riverside, Corp -- better known as the Iowa Beta house corporation -- is pleased to announce a series of moves designed to enhance the financial stability of the Chapter House until Iowa Beta returns to its ancestral home.
The Chapter House, located at 302 Ridgeland Avenue (formerly known as 303 N. Riverside) in Iowa City, was temporarily rented to Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity (TKE) during the three-year period from 2013 - 2016, but the tenants had a one year option to extend their occupancy until August 2017. The TKEs have now exercised that option.
The Iowa Beta chapter returns to campus as a start-up phoenix colony in fall 2016.
Although this move means that Iowa Beta will not have a formal chapter house until August 2017, it gives SAE an entire academic year to build up its membership strength in order to ensure that they can actually afford the payments.
"We believe this will strengthen the Iowa Beta chapter in the long run while at the same time ensuring fiscal continuity for the House," said house corporation president Randy Iskowitz (IABE '88).
In other moves, the house corporation's Board of Directors authorized the refinancing of the mortgage to lock in low interest rates and favorable terms while at the same time establishing a line of credit in the event of emergency repairs being needed to the 90-year old historic structure.
Steve Cary (IABE '92), who was the longtime treasurer of the house corporation until recently retiring from its Board, volunteered to lead the refinancing initiatives. He continues to serve as an ex officio advisor.
"We are very grateful to Steve for volunteering to lead these efforts and for his continued service and dedication," Iskowitz said. "Without question, Steve is a True Gentleman."
"These are the right moves at the right time to ensure long term financial stability," added Iowa Beta Alumni Association president Marc Rosenow (IABE '86), who also serves as house corporation secretary. "And it provides a membership goal for Iowa Beta to achieve in 2016."
BBQ held in honor of Iowa Beta Class of 2015
The Iowa Beta Alumni Association welcomed its newest alumni members with open arms and celebrated the occasion with a graduation barbecue in Iowa City on May 9th.
The Class of 2015 was honored and became SAE alumni members in good standing upon their graduation. This status was granted by the Supreme Council of the Fraternity.
Representative members of the Boards of Directors of the Iowa Beta Alumni Association and the house corporation attended the annual event in Iowa City. This is the final graduation before the Iowa Beta chapter returns to campus as a phoenix colony in the fall of 2016.
Rib-eye steaks along with grilled asparagus, baked potatoes with all the fixings, Grandma's potato salad and assorted other dishes were served. Becky Hall, wife of Chapter Advisor and de facto property manager, Bob Hall (IABE ’66), baked delicious cookies for dessert.
House corporation president Randy Iskowitz (IABE ’88) and directors Don Keeley (IABE ’88) and Dave DeMik (IABE '10) manned the grill. Alumni association president Marc Rosenow (IABE ’86) conducted Ritual. Joe Evans (IABE '85) and alumni association DirectorMatt Miller (IABE ’11) were among alumni present.
“We are pleased to congratulate these men on their graduation and welcome them as our newest alumni brothers," said Rosenow.“They have proven themselves to be True Gentlemen in every sense and deserving of the status they have achieved.”
The event was held at the Environmental Education Center at the East Side Recycling Center in Iowa City.
QUIZ ANSWER: A. Lucy Phenton Pattie
Lucy Phenton Pattie (Kentucky Chi 1868) was born December 4, 1842. She grew up in Farmdale, KY, which was a farming community six miles from Frankfort, the state capital. When the Civil War began in 1861, Lucy was 18 years old. She lived on the family farm with her parents, two sisters and two brothers.
The Kentucky Military Institute was only about a mile from the Pattie farm. The school officially closed at the end of the 1860-61 academic year in preparation for the war.
Lucy's good friend, John B. Kent (Kentucky Chi 1860), was one of the last cadets to depart for battle and was an SAE at the Kentucky Chi chapter there. After the school shut down, he stayed with the Pattie family for a few weeks before leaving for the war.
It was Kent's responsibility to wrap up the business affairs of the Kentucky Chi chapter before departing for battle. Important secret documents, including the minutes and by-laws, which at the time incorporated the Ritual, would need to be protected and preserved for when the war was over.
Kent asked Lucy if she would keep the secret documents safe until the Kentucky Chi chapter could be reorganized. He told her to give these documents to nobody unless he could provide the SAE grip, and then Kent taught Lucy how to do it.Lucy agreed to Kent's request and stored the documents safely away. Shortly thereafter in July, Kent left to join the 15th Tennessee Volunteer Infantry.
On September 19, 1863, John B. Kent was killed in action and was posthumously singled out for his bravery.The whereabouts of his grave are unknown.
After the war concluded, Col. Robert T. P. Allen (Kentucky Chi 1868), a Pattie family friend, returned home and reopened the Kentucky Military Institute. He also helped restart the Kentucky Chi chapter in May 1868.
Allen knew that Lucy was keeping the secret documents that Kent entrusted to her care. He visited the Pattie home and requested that they be given to him. Remembering her promise to Kent, Lucy waited for the designated signal. According to William C. Levere’s account of the story, Lucy refused to relinquish the papers unless “… one of the company who were re-organizing the Chapter could convince her that he was an SAE.” Because Allen did not know that he was supposed to give Lucy the grip, she would not turn over the secret papers to him.
Eventually, the Chapter sent Albert McMahan (Kentucky Chi 1870) to the Pattie home to speak with Lucy about the documents. He tried what no one else had done before and gave her the grip. This was the signal that Lucy had been waiting for, and she immediately handed the secret documents to McMahan.
In appreciation for her faithful service, Kentucky Chi elected Lucy an honorary member and gave her an SAE badge. Lucy remained socially active with the Chapter until 1887, when the school moved to Lyndon, KY and the Kentucky Chi chapter closed.
For decades, Lucy Pattie's story was not widely known by most SAEs.
However, William C. Levere began to correspond with Lucy and met her in person in 1920, presenting her with an exact duplicate badge to the one she misplaced many years before.
It was Levere who resurrected the long forgotten story of Lucy Pattie and wrote about it in the December 1920 issue of The Record. Lucy Pattie soon became celebrated throughout the realm. However, Levere inadvertently referred to Lucy as a full member when in fact she was only an “honorary member.”
Lucy Pattie passed away on November 14, 1922, three weeks before her 80th birthday. The SAE badge given to her by Levere was pinned on her chest for her funeral.
Years later, the membership status discrepancy was discovered by then-Eminent Supreme Recorder Eric A. Dawson (Mississippi 1908) as he was doing some research into the Kentucky Chi chapter and noticed the error. In 1932, he completed the required administrative tasks to posthumously change the membership status from "honorary" to full membership.
Thus, Lucy Phenton Pattie is the only female to ever become an official member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
We honor our Iowa Beta Heroes
Throughout its illustrious 110-year history, the Iowa Beta chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon has had many brothers who have served our country in the military and are true American heroes.
On this Memorial Day, we honor those Iowa Beta brothers who have given their lives in times of war to protect our freedoms:
World War II
DeWitt C. Emerson
Jerome A. Gunderson, Jr.
(IABE 1946)
Charles W. Hanna
(IABE 1939)
Robert C. Kadgihn
(IABE 1941)
David T. Ronan
(IABE 1942)
Ward S. Williams, Jr.
(IABE 1935)
Robert F. Yelton
(IABE 1944)
(IABE 1966)
James H. Hise
(IABE 1963)
"May the memory of their good deeds and the example of their noble lives ever abide with us as a lasting heritage throughout all succeeding generations."
-- The Ritual of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Are you a veteran?
The Iowa Beta Alumni Association honors all those Americans who served our country. We would like to hear your story. When and where did you serve? What branch of the military did you serve?
On Veteran’s Day in November, we would like the opportunity to highlight some of Iowa Beta’s Heroes.
Please let us know your story by clicking here:
Don't forget:
Golf on July 30
Don't forget to let us know if you are interested in participating in the July 30 golf outing in Chicago's North Shore on July 30. There will activities for golfers and non-golfers alike.
Final details will be made available to those who RSVP.
Join the large group of brothers who have already said they will be participating.
Please click the "GOLF" button below to confirm attendance. Thank you!.
SAE Convention is June 18th - 20th
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s 159th Anniversary Convention will be held in Newport Beach, Calif. June 18th - 20th.
The Convention is the highest governing body of the Fraternity.
It is the Fraternity's largest business meeting. More than 400 delegates, representing chapters and alumni associations in good standing, vote upon Supreme Council candidates and proposals for the Fraternity Laws.
Each chapter and alumni association gets only one vote and may designate only one main delegate. However, groups may send multiple representatives.
To read more about the Convention, the schedule of events, candidates and proposals,Click here
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