Alpha Kappa Psi is excited to announce Eileen and Scott Howell have pledged a $1,000,000 gift to the Alpha Kappa Psi Foundation. The donation will go toward fulfilling strategic goals for principled business leadership educational programs and will honor lifelong Alpha Kappa Psi volunteers, Dave and Wendy Wendroff, with the naming of the new Alpha Kappa Psi headquarters as the Howell + Wendroff Professional Center.
Scott and Eileen Howell
The Howells announced their gift, the largest single gift to the AKPsi Foundation, during virtual meetings of the Fraternity and Foundation Boards on Monday evening, stating, “This organization has meant the world to us. You have probably heard this several times, but the principles of AKPsi solidified the values we learned in our younger days. It reinforced integrity, knowledge, and service in ways that established a legacy for us. And now we want to make sure this carries on.”
As a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee with a Masters in Tax, Eileen has had an extensive career working for international power, oil, and gas companies, in a variety of leadership roles including Chief Financial Officer. Eileen and Scott spent many years living abroad, raising their son and daughter across three continents.
Eileen and Scott met when they were both living in Houston and serving as AKPsi volunteers. The timeframe, relative to the history of AKPsi is significant: Eileen is one of the first female initiates of the fraternity, served as the first female chapter president, was first female chair of the Foundation Board of Directors, and the second female chair of the Fraternity Board of Directors.
As the current chair of the Alpha Kappa Psi Board of Directors, Eileen has been a key leader in planning for the Fraternity’s future. The gift will enable Alpha Kappa Psi to further advance educational offerings in several ways: updating existing programs to reach a greater number of student and alumni members, assisting with the partnering of like-minded organizations and businesses, and updating the current headquarters meeting spaces and audio/video studio.
“On behalf of the Foundation Board, I would like to thank Eileen and Scott for their generosity and belief in our vision. We have an ambitious agenda for expanding the reach of our support in the next several years, and Eileen and Scott’s gift represents the cornerstone of these plans,” remarked Tim Daniels, Chair of the Alpha Kappa Psi Foundation. “I’m humbled by the Howell’s generosity and am very enthusiastic about our future.”
Honoring Their Long-Time Friends and Fraternity Brothers, Dave and Wendy Wendroff
Wendy and Dave Wendroff
Dave and Wendy Wendroff have served Alpha Kappa Psi for several decades and in various leadership roles in the Fraternity and Foundation. Dave is currently on the Fraternity Board of Directors and is a past chair of both the Fraternity and Foundation Boards. Wendy is the long-time chair of the Alpha Kappa Psi Convention and is also a Regional Director. Like Eileen and Scott, Dave and Wendy met at an AKPsi event years ago, and the couples have been good friends for over 30 years. Wendy is godmother to the Howells’ daughter, Caylin.
“Eileen and Scott believe in the power and practice of principled business leadership; they believe in the value of the Fraternity as a key to building lifelong friendships, which is why it’s so fitting for Dave and Wendy to be honored. I’m also grateful for Eileen and Scott’s optimism and vision for AKPsi and our future,” said AKPsi Chief Executive Officer Steve Hartman.
Alpha Kappa Psi will have a reception in March at the new building in Noblesville, Indiana, for members and friends and will be planning an official dedication for a later date yet to be determined.
