Acacia Fraternity Names New Leadership to Foundation and International Headquarters
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) October 17, 2011 – The Acacia Fraternity, an international college fraternity for men founded in 1904 at the University of Michigan and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, announces the naming of Darold W. Larson as the first full-time Executive Director for the Acacia Fraternity Foundation and Keith M. Bushey as Executive Director for the Fraternity.
Darold will be responsible for providing the professional leadership in the management of the affairs of the Acacia Fraternity Foundation whose purpose is to advance the educational mission of the Acacia Fraternity. He will oversee the financial management, fund development, public relations, organizational records, and implementation of board policies in these and related areas of Foundation operations to achieve the established goals of the Foundation. He will report directly to the Foundation’s President, William M. Riley, Jr., of Manhattan, Kansas and member of the Kansas State Chapter of Acacia Fraternity.
“When the Board of Directors decided it was necessary to hire a full-time professional to lead the daily operations and development efforts of the Foundation, it was unquestionable that the best person for the job was Darold,” said Bill Riley, Foundation President. “We are fortunate to have someone lead the Foundation with his dedication to the Fraternity and institutional knowledge.”
Darold joins the Foundation after nearly three decades of leading Acacia Fraternity as its Executive Director. A 1981 initiate of the Washington State University Chapter of Acacia Fraternity, Darold joined the Fraternity’s International Headquarters in 1984 as a Leadership Consultant, then eventually was promoted to Executive Director and TRIAD Editor in 1987. He has received numerous awards for his work with the Fraternity, including its highest honors, as well as having served the interfraternity world as president of the Fraternity Executives Association and director of the Interfraternity Institute.
Under his leadership with Acacia Fraternity, he established Acacia’s chapter standards program, Spirit of Excellence; upon the dissolution of the Acacia Educational Foundation, assisted with the creation of the Acacia Fraternity Foundation in 1989 to support the educational mission of the Fraternity, now with assets of more than two million dollars; and in 1995 created the Acacia Leadership Academy, recently named in his honor, to provide leadership training to undergraduates over the summer during off-Conclave years in a model fraternal atmosphere. Through interfraternity networking, Darold ushered all Acacia entities into the national liability insurance program, FRMT Limited, with 27 other national fraternity members and today Acacia enjoys one of the lowest claim records of any national fraternity due to its risk management oversight and educational programs. In preparation of Acacia’s 100th Anniversary in 2004, he guided the Fraternity’s ambitious Strategic Plan that included strengthening undergraduate membership and retention and which led to the development of the Cornerstones membership education program in 2007 encompassing the entire undergraduate membership and including alumni mentoring.
“One-fourth of all Acacians have been initiated under Darold’s tenure with the Fraternity,” said Robert Roberson, International Council President for Acacia Fraternity. “He has also led the chartering or re-chartering of 22 chapters across the United States and Canada. Acacia owes much gratitude to this dedicated brother for his tireless efforts in strengthening our Fraternity."
Darold assumes his new role with the Acacia Fraternity Foundation beginning this month, October 2011.
Keith Bushey, the Assistant Executive Director for Acacia Fraternity has been promoted to Executive Director by the International Council of Acacia Fraternity. He will now oversee all the daily operations of the Fraternity’s International Headquarters, membership records, chapter operations and expansions, Leadership Consultants and office staff. He will report directly to the International Council President, Robert Roberson, of Richview, Illinois, and member of the Illinois Wesleyan Chapter of Acacia.
“Over the past decade Keith has played a major roll in ensuring the Fraternity’s operations were strengthened through increased communications with our undergraduate chapters and oversight of the traveling Leadership Consultants,” said Roberson, Council President. “He was the logical choice to assume the responsibilities of Executive Director and the Fraternity has much confidence in his abilities and looks forward to giving him our full support in leading our daily operations.”
Keith is a 1986 initiate of the Indiana Chapter of Acacia Fraternity at Indiana University. Prior to joining the Acacia Fraternity’s staff in 2001 as Assistant Executive Director, Keith served the Fraternity for five years as the house director for the Indiana Chapter, responsible for the physical plant, daily operations and renovations.
As Assistant Executive Director, Keith was responsible for direct oversight of all Acacia undergraduate chapters and assisted in the establishment of nine colonies. He has trained more than 20 recent alumni who have joined the Fraternity’s staff since 2001 as Leadership Consultants to assist in overseeing chapter operations and expansions. Beginning in 2003, he became coordinator of the biennial Darold W. Larson Acacia Leadership Academy and has coordinated the Fraternity’s biennial Conclaves since 2002. As Conclave Coordinator, he was responsible for setting all programming for undergraduates and alumni, planning all speakers, meals and entertainment. The 2004 Centennial Conclave was one of the largest of these events with over 325 Acacians in attendance.
The Acacia Fraternity and Acacia Fraternity Foundation are both headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
For more information, contact Acacia Fraternity International Headquarters, 317-872-8210, acacianat@acacia.org.