The 179th Convention of Theta Delta Chi was hosted virtually in 2026. The regular happenings of the Convention were edited down to match the online format. Delegates spent many hours online between Thursday, July 30, and Saturday, August 1, to connect, learn, and complete the essential business of Theta Delta Chi. 

The excitement for the 180th Convention in 2027 was already in the air. The 180th will be in Madison, Wisconsin, home to the Sigma Deuteron Charge. The 181st in 2028 will be virtual to continue the in-person and virtual alternating event pattern. In addition, the location for the 182nd in 2029 has narrowed down to three possible choices: Ann Arbor, MI, the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area (DMV), and Greensboro, NC. The final selection of location for the 182nd will be made at the 180th, where proposals for those three locations will be reviewed. 

You can view the 179th Convention Scholarship & Awards presentation on YouTube, the virtual convention version of the Grand Banquet.

The first general business session took place on Thursday, July 30th, 2026 at 8 PM ET. Brother Jim Leuck (Upsilon Deuteron ‘09, 67th PGL) called the meeting to order. The formal opening was done by Brother Greg Wagner (Epsilon ‘84, Executive Member of the Grand Lodge). Brother Drew Johnson (Beta Deuteron ‘20 and Director of Growth and Expansion) led the Invocation, which was sung by the brotherhood before the call of the roll. The call of the roll was conducted by Brother Juan Alfaro (Xi Triton ‘17, Graduate Secretary of the Grand Lodge). There were over 70 delegates, and many more non-voting members present for the meeting. The 178th Convention minutes were amended and approved. PGL Leuck gave the Report of the Grand Lodge and CFO. After this report, Brother Drew Johnson gave an update on the new initiatives regarding Growth and Expansion. Eta Deuteron is back on the path to rechartering, with 27 registered members, and Beta is the next expansion project. The CFO is requesting that if you or anybody you know would like to start a new Charge or revive a dormant Charge, please contact glstaff@tdx.org.

PGL Leuck then gave updates regarding the proposals from the Standing Committee on Legislation (SCL), as well as revisions to the Policy on Inclusive Membership. The floor was then asked to ratify interpretations on membership eligibility and voluntary expulsions. All of the details of these discussions can be found in the 179th convention minutes. The SCL items will go out for ratification in September to the active Charges. After these discussions, Brother Drew Johnson and Nick Carter (Tau Triton ‘24, Charge Consultant) awarded the following Charges with Certificates of Excellence. 

• Finance – Beta Deuteron
• Risk Management – Nu Triton
• Programming – Beta Deuteron
• Inter-Charge Relations – Lambda Deuteron
• Campus Involvement – Tau Triton
• NME – Tau Tetraton
• Hospitality – Epsilon
• Social Media Marketing – Xi Triton
• Leadership – Iota Triton
• Recruitment – Xi Deuteron

After these certificates were announced, Brother Nolan Klemesrud (Beta Deuteron ‘27, Undergraduate Member of the Grand Lodge) conducted the formal closing and Doxology. 

The first Minerva Session, Beers Aren’t Bad, focused on alcohol education and making responsible, informed decisions. The session encouraged attendees to think about their personal and social goals, understand how alcohol can influence those goals, and make intentional choices rather than feeling pressured by drinking culture. Through discussion and practical strategies, brothers were challenged to reduce risky behaviors, support one another, and foster healthier social environments within their Charges.

The second Minerva Session featured PhiredUp, which focused on building a more intentional and relationship-driven approach to recruitment. Rather than viewing recruitment as something that only happens during rush, the session emphasized making it an ongoing process rooted in genuine conversations and personal connections. Attendees explored how consistent engagement, meeting more people, and creating authentic relationships ultimately lead to stronger recruitment outcomes. The presentation also challenged Charges to think beyond recruitment events and instead build a culture where every brother plays a role in welcoming prospective members.

The final Minerva Session, titled Has Greek Peaked?, facilitated by Billy Boulden, Assistant Dean of Students for Development and Student Leadership & Director of Sorority and Fraternity Engagement at Iowa State University, challenged attendees to reflect on the purpose of fraternity membership beyond simply maintaining an organization. Through personal stories, examples from his own fraternity experience, and discussions centered on ritual, principles, and brotherhood, he encouraged brothers to reconnect with the values that define Theta Delta Chi. The session emphasized leading with principles instead of reacting to problems, investing in one another’s growth, and creating a vision for the future that extends beyond day-to-day operations. Brothers left with a reminder that strong Charges are built by developing better men and intentionally caring for one another.

The Second General Business Session was conducted on Saturday, August 1st, 2026 at 1 PM ET. PGL Leuck gave the call to order, and the formal opening was conducted by Brother Manuel Valdez, (Mu Triton ‘21, Graduate Treasurer of the Grand Lodge). Brother Nick Carter led the Invocation. The call of the roll was once again conducted by Brother Juan Alfaro, and once again over 70 voting delegates were present. The convention committee gave their report to the floor – announcing that next year’s in-person Convention will be in Madison, Wisconsin. The nominating committee then took the floor to announce their proposed slate for the open Grand Lodge positions to the voting delegates. The recommendation of the Nominating Committee was eventually elected by the floor. The four elected officers join the 150th Grand Lodge. Congratulations to the 150th Grand Lodge on being elected. 

• President Jim Leuck, Upsilon Deuteron ‘09 
• Graduate Treasurer Carter Bertsch, Upsilon Deuteron ‘26 
• Graduate Secretary Juan Alfaro, Xi Triton ‘17 
• Executive Member Greg Wagner, Epsilon ‘84 
• Executive Member Stephan Johnson, Gamma Triton ‘92 
• Undergraduate Member At Large Patrick Sennott, Iota Triton ‘27 
• Undergraduate Member At Large Dylan McAvoy, Tau Triton ‘27 

Brother Jeff Horton (Nu Triton ‘90, President of the Educational Foundation) then stepped up to the stage to announce the Educational Foundation’s election. The floor was asked for any nominations; James Ambrose, Tau Triton ‘18 was nominated. Brother Douglas Johnson (Epsilon Triton ‘89) was recommended by Brother Horton to be re-elected to his role in the Educational Foundation. Congratulations to Brother James Ambrose and Brother Doug Johnson on being elected to the Educational Foundation as annual term directors. PGL Leuck returned to the stage to conduct a vote on the SCL report, interpretations, and policy revisions. The floor then appointed Adam Marks, Nu Deuteron ‘99, to a 3-year term on the Standing Committee on Legislation. Old Business and New Business were conducted before the installation of the 150th Grand Lodge. The Formal Closing and Doxology was conducted by Brother Drew Evans (Rho Proteron ‘27, Undergraduate Member of the Grand Lodge). 

Grand Banquet – Awards & Scholarships Presentation
The awards and scholarship presentation stream is available here. The following is a list of the Charge awards, individual awards, and scholarship winners.

• Highest Number of Donors – Nu Deuteron
• Highest Percentage of Donors – Upsilon Deuteron
• Bruce R. Trefz Service and Philanthropy Cup – Sigma Deuteron
• Guy C. Pierce Improvement Cup – Tau Tetraton
• Dr. Richard E. Wood Ritual Improvement Cup – Alpha
• Presidents Cup – Upsilon Deuteron
• Victory Cup – Sigma Deuteron

• Undergraduate of the Year – Ryan Zamiarski, Tau Tetraton ‘27
• Alumnus of the Year – Kyle Pachla, Gamma Triton ‘15
• President of the Year – Conor Boyum, Sigma Deuteron ’28
• Fredric Carter Impact Award – Brandon Loubier, Tau Tetraton ’26
• Theta Delt of the Year – Patrick Loureiro, Sigma Deuteron ’11

• Alexander Carucci, Alpha ’27
• Ethan Cook, Upsilon Deuteron ’28
• Drake Green, Upsilon Deuteron ’28
• Aradhya Sharma, Alpha ’27
• Rowan Kalirae, Xi Deuteron ’28
• Seth Krosin, Sigma Deuteron ’27
• Connor Boyum, Sigma Deuteron ’28
• Ned Eggert, Sigma Deuteron ’28
• Caden Kanthack, Sigma Deuteron ’29
• Eitan Shamah, Sigma Deuteron ’29

• Francesco Pileggi, Alpha ’28
• Nick Carter, Tau Triton ’24
• Cyrus Sharafi, Nu ’28
• Jerry Fu, Nu Triton ’28

Your contributions to the Educational Foundation of Theta Delta Chi help fund grants and scholarships. Please consider making a donation today!

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We hope you have enjoyed this year’s Convention recap. Feel free to respond to this email if you have any questions or feedback. 

This message was sent by Kay McNulty Davila from Theta Delta Chi International Fraternity on www.mytdx.org.
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