After holding the volunteer role of Chapter Director for 7 years, Brother Rob Pankau III handed over that position in November 2023 to Brother Tyler Reynolds.

Joining the Zeta Pi Chapter as part of the Beta Omicron pledge class in 2017, Tyler studied human resources development at OU, and had held 3 E-Board terms during his Active years with the Chapter.

“Sigma Pi has, and always will mean a lot to me,” he said. “I was at the house after the first day of classes at Oakland and immediately saw something I wanted to be a part of. And the rest is history.”

Tyler becomes the 12th person to serve in that position since our Chapter’s founding in 1986.

Recently, the undergraduate chapter also voted to change the name of the role from Chapter Director to Chapter Advisor.

In thinking about taking over and continuing the work that Brother Pankau had given during his time as Chapter Advisor, Tyler quotes the Sigma Pi Fireside Song: “The circle changes with each year, brothers come and disappear.”

“I’m fully confident in the Active Chapter, and I, along with everyone else who is behind them, will do what we can to ensure their success. I’m looking forward to helping grow on the foundation Zeta Pi has stood on for nearly 38 years, setting us up for many, many more to come.”

Navigating a pandemic, changing times for Greeks

Rob had become Chapter Director in July 2017, following Bob Van Acker’s four-years in  that role.

He reflected on his time, particularly as it required negotiation a challenging relationship with the OU administration and then as the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything.

He notes that the Chapter was divided at the time he started, uncertain about the path forward.

“I am particularly proud of how the chapter functioned and survived through the pandemic. Honestly, I could not have asked for a better outcome with operations essentially shut down for a year plus,” he shared. “The pandemic proved fruitful in a way that I couldn’t have imagined, with a refocusing on academics and the values of the organization as the social aspect was significantly diminished during this time. This has set the tone in the last few years of recruitment.”

Rob says the  Chapter is in a place now that needs a different type of mentorship and guidance, someone who is more plugged into the current needs of students as well as how the every day life operates for a student.

Adding to that, Rob notes that the U.S. university system and its relationship with Greek organizations has changed dramatically in the past 10 years. That’s made his role, and the Chapter’s place at OU, more challenging to navigate.

“Greeks are often not welcome or are scrutinized in a manner that is inconsistent compared to other student organizations,” he said. “Oakland University has done away with a specific Greek Advisor at this point in time, which has led to an interesting dichotomy between the Chapter and the university. We are at the point that there is limited oversight by the university, but also limited and challenging to acquire support as well.”

Now, Tyler is the 12th to serve in that position since our Chapter’s founding in 1986:

  • Vince Chrisman (Founding Chapter Director in March 15, 1986)
  • John Pearson
  • Bryan Mahlmiester
  • John Zielke (until Feb 95)
  • Jeff Fox (Feb 95-June 96)
  • Chuck Surinck (June 96-Jan 09)
  • Pete Knoll (early 09)
  • Brett Westen (Early 09-Fall 09)
  • Rob Pankau III (Fall 09 – Nov 10)
  • Mike Long (Nov 10 – April 13)
  • Bob Van Acker (April 13 – July 17)
  • Rob Pankau III (July 17 – Nov 23 )

With the reestablishment of the ZPAA in 2023, now-former Chapter Director Pankau says that our Zeta Pi Chapter has more of a chance to succeed than ever before.

“The creation and sustaining of the Alumni Association will be a key to long term success for our Chapter,” he said. “With the Alumni Association, this gives the chapter another level of stability from a team of individuals, as long as we as Alumni remember that the undergraduates need us as mentors more than ever. Temper expectations and teach, while reminding ourselves of that the current challenges are different, we were all 19 and trying to figure it out at one point in time.”

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