[button link=”https://www.lambdachi.org/give/?BBFund=136″ type=”big” color=”green” newwindow=”yes”] Honor Bill Now[/button]
On April 27, 2019, Grand High Zeta voted unanimously to adopt a proclamation establishing the endowed William T. Farkas Fellowship with a lead grant from the Fraternity to the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation.
The fellowship will provide stipends to active brothers for co-ops and internships at the International Headquarters. The fellowship will be supported by donors to honor Farkas’ lifelong commitment and leadership to Lambda Chi Alpha.
“The Grand High Zeta, on behalf of all of the members of the Fraternity, all of its chapters and colonies, all of its alumni members, and all past and present members of the staff of the Office of Administration, offers its deep and heart-felt gratitude to Brother Bill Farkas for his long and exemplary history of selflessly dedicated service to the Fraternity,” said Board Chairman Jeff Stuerman (Culver-Stockton 1982). “The Grand High Zeta, on behalf of the entire Fraternity and all of its members, expresses its sincere best wishes to Brother Farkas for continued success in his future endeavors and for a long, happy, healthy, and productive life.”
Farkas was initiated as Alpha-Alpha 1115 at Butler University chapter in March 1986. During his undergraduate years, he served as an intern at the International Headquarters from 1986-1988, and on the Student Advisory Committee throughout the 1987-1988 academic year.
Farkas further served on the Nominating Committee at the Forty-First (1986) General Assembly. Upon his graduation in 1988, he served on General Fraternity staff for four years as a chapter consultant and subsequently as associate director of chapter services.
Afterwards, Farkas employed his leadership skills in the non-fraternal world, serving with distinction at Butler University as associate director and then director of alumni and parent programs, and as executive director of alumni and development programs. He also served at Embry Riddle University as director of alumni relations and director of athletic fundraising. Finally, he worked at Western Washington University as director of alumni relations and executive director of the WWU Alumni Association.
In June 2005, after an exhaustive search process, Farkas was asked to rejoin the Office of Administration as its sixth executive vice president in the Fraternity’s 96-year history at a time of significant financial and operational difficulty.
Farkas has served in that role tirelessly and with great distinction over the ensuing 14 years, leading the Fraternity to a position of financial and operational strength, and rising to a position of leadership and respect in the overall Greek world.
In February 2019, Farkas announced his intention to step down from his role with the General Fraternity to pursue other opportunities in service to the non-profit world and to make way for new Fraternity leadership to carry forward the strategic vision he has so ably assisted in developing and implanting during his tenure.
As a visionary leader, Farkas is the fifth chief executive officer of the Fraternity following in the footsteps of his predecessors:
- Bruce H. McIntosh (DePauw 1916)
- 1920 – 1943
- Cyril F. “Duke” Flad (Wittenberg 1940)
- 1943 — 1968
- George W. Spasyk (Michigan 1949)
- 1968 – 1990
- Thomas A. Helmbock (Evansville 1968)
- 1990 — 2005
In March 2019, Stuerman formed a CEO Search Committee that is in the process of finalizing a recommendation to the Board regarding who will be the next leader of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Click here to make a contribution in honor of Brother Bill Farkas.
