It is a rare brother who can diligently and consistently provide the kind of guidance and leadership necessary to inspire undergraduates and fellow volunteers over the course of decades. The level of selflessness required to commit so fully to our young brothers while often balancing work and family obligations is nothing short of remarkable.

The fact that these brothers give so much of their time and talent with no expectation of praise or recognition makes them all the more worthy of both.

SigEp’s highest honor is the Order of the Golden Heart. It is awarded to brothers who have volunteered with the Fraternity for 30 years or more. In 2023 at the Fraternity’s 58th Grand Chapter Conclave in San Antonio, five brothers were recognized for their lifetime of service. They have not only given their time, they have left an indelible mark — locally and nationally — that will continue to be felt in the years and decades to come.

Individually, each is quite impressive; collectively, even more so. The contributions of this phenomenal group have had a direct impact on countless chapters, as well as the national Fraternity, and total more than two centuries of dedicated service to Sigma Phi Epsilon.

Paul Litcher, Indiana Tech ’88
As an undergraduate, Paul Litcher led Indiana Eta’s recruitment efforts and served as the chapter’s vice president and academic chair. He also served as a delegate to the 1985 San Antonio Conclave, where he met SigEp heroes Wally Doud, Frank Ruck, and Truman Sanderson, and the 1987 Conclave. Attending these national events made a lasting impression on Litcher. Meeting accomplished brothers from around the country introduced him to SigEp’s extensive alumni network and inspired a legacy of service that continues to this day.

The deep love Litcher cultivated for SigEp as a student leader at Indiana Tech only intensified once he became an alumnus himself. His humility, desire to help others excel and ability to connect with brothers have made him a highly treasured volunteer and resulted in roles with an astounding seven different chapters.

After completing his bachelor’s, Litcher returned home to the East Coast and started volunteering with chapters in New York and New Jersey. He also quickly became a primary resource for other alumni in the area, connecting them to volunteer opportunities and each other.

He joined the New York Rho alumni and volunteer corporation (AVC) at St. John’s in an official capacity in 1990, was later appointed chapter counselor and went on to serve as AVC president for 12 years. Litcher held multiple volunteer roles that decade, including balanced man steward for New York Phi at Columbia, chapter counselor for New York Upsilon at Adelphi, and AVC secretary and chapter counselor for New York Tau at Hofstra.

As a founder of the NUTS! McAuliffe Society, Litcher leaves another indelible mark on the Fraternity. For over 20 years, the society has supported undergraduate brothers by covering their registration fees for Conclave and other SigEp leadership programs. Litcher understands firsthand how participating in these programs as an undergraduate shapes the development of future alumni volunteers. In addition to being a founder, he diligently kept account of every donation and helped formalize operations, both of which have been instrumental to the society’s growth and longevity.

A previous Distinguished Alumnus Award and Exemplary Service Award recipient, Litcher has also served as a lieutenant district governor for more than a decade. He currently volunteers with New York Gamma (NYU), New Jersey Alpha (Stevens) and his home chapter, Indiana Eta. And 38 years after meeting his SigEp heroes at a San Antonio Conclave, Litcher received his own badge of SigEp distinction in San Antonio.

Don Park, Ball State ’61
His passion for mentoring undergraduate brothers is just a natural part of who Don Park is. A former professor of education at his alma mater, his commitment to service and his professional pursuits have always been deeply intertwined. As a newly minted alumnus, Park joined the AVC and served as president for several years. Except for a pause to serve a four-year term as an Indiana state senator, he hasn’t stopped volunteering with SigEp.

As it so happened, Park returned to Ball State to serve as vice president for university advancement at a fortuitous moment. Indiana Gamma was going through a challenging time, and Park was there to provide much-needed mentorship that helped turn the chapter around.  Thanks to his guidance and encouragement, the chapter not only improved operations, it also saw a steady increase in manpower and went on to earn four consecutive Buchanan Cups.

Park has served in his current role as Indiana Gamma’s faculty fellow for more than a decade. Also a Distinguished Alumnus and Volunteer of the Year Award recipient, Park challenges brothers to reach their full potential and is always looking for ways to bolster the member experience. He personally connects brothers with educational resources on campus and helps them find professional development opportunities. One of his current projects aims to expand on those efforts by creating a foundation that will support and enhance Indiana Gamma’s educational programming.

A highly respected fundraising professional who’s managed multimillion-dollar campaigns for Ball State, Park has generously shared his expertise with Indiana Gamma. He established an annual campaign in 1994 to support the chapter's Balanced Man Scholarship that provides $25,000 - $30,000 each year to support Indiana Gamma's education initiatives. In 2004, Park planned and managed a campaign to raise funds to construct a $3 million state-of-the-art chapter house that was dedicated in 2009.

According to estimates by fellow volunteers, it would take more than a dozen volunteers to accomplish all the things that Park gets done in a year. While that number may be accurate, it can truly be said that to generations of Indiana Gamma brothers, Park is one in a million.

J. Earl Rainwater, Tennessee ’60
Earl Rainwater first displayed a passion for service as an undergraduate. He served as chapter president and also diligently chronicled Tennessee Alpha’s history as chapter historian, and he carried out this spirit of dedication his entire life.

After receiving his bachelor’s in 1958 and law degree in 1960, Rainwater moved from his beloved Tennessee to Texas to serve as a judge advocate general in the U.S. Air Force. Those years in Texas would be the only time in his adult life he wasn’t involved in some capacity with Tennessee Alpha.

Soon after returning to Tennessee in the mid ’60s, Rainwater was asked to serve as chapter counselor. His level-headed leadership proved to be a stabilizing force during a challenging time for Tennessee Alpha. This was the start of five decades of dedicated volunteer service.

While serving as chapter counselor, Rainwater also co-chaired the AVC’s building campaign for Tennessee Alpha’s house at Fraternity Park Drive. Decades after co-chairing that first housing campaign, Rainwater was there to support his brothers again when he assisted the AVC with a second capital campaign to renovate the house in 2011.

Following a stint as AVC president, Rainwater began serving as treasurer in 1968, and would hold the position for over 50 years. During this time, Earl served alongside his twin brother, Burl Rainwater, Tennessee ’58, who also held several offices on the AVC and would go on to receive the Order of the Golden Heart in 1989. For several years in the early 1970s, Earl took on the additional responsibility of serving as district governor of Tennessee.

In 1978, he helped found the Tennessee Alpha Scholarship Foundation and served as a trustee. The foundation is still in operation and has so far awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to undergraduate brothers. That same year, Rainwater became one of the inaugural recipients of SigEp’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. He was also among the first 10 recipients of the Fraternity’s Exemplary Service Award.

Due to illness, the Order of the Golden Heart was presented to Brother Rainwater at his home prior to Conclave. Sadly, he passed just a few days after being inducted into the Order. The Fraternity is saddened by his loss, yet grateful for one last opportunity to let him know how much he was loved and appreciated.

His tenure as a volunteer and the depth of his involvement made Rainwater a giant all SigEps can look up to.

Wendell Rakosky, Baldwin Wallace ’78
Due to his extensive experience in human resources, Wendell Rakosky has built a career as a highly sought after executive and consultant. It’s also enabled him to relate to and mentor SigEp volunteers and undergraduate brothers with a high degree of empathy and insight.

After earning his degree, Rakosky moved across the country to launch his career in HR and began volunteering with a local chapter so he could stay connected to the Fraternity.

Starting in the 1980s, Rakosky served as AVC treasurer for SigEp’ Maryland Beta chapter at Maryland-College Park for seven years before taking on the role of vice president for another three years.

He then went on to dedicate another decade to developing and supporting volunteers in New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware as a district governor. Serving in this role presented Rakosky opportunities to get to know a greater number of undergraduates and volunteers in the greater Washington area. It was through these interactions that he began to notice college students were graduating without some of the skills employers are looking for. Rakosky’s professional instincts told him it was important to help brothers leave college better prepared for the workplace. He began connecting them with local alumni who could offer career guidance. He also committed to serving as a facilitator and participating in coaching sessions with brothers at SigEp’s annual Life After College program. He was certainly ahead of the curve, as this was several years before the launch of the Fraternity’s Career Coaching program.

His generosity has also extended to supporting SigEp financially. Rakosky was one of the founding members of SigEp’s lead donor group, the Board of Governors, and continues to be a member year after year. He’s even volunteered to serve as a captain for the Fraternity’s Founders Day of Giving, rallying his Ohio Zeta brothers to donate in support of SigEp’s leadership programs.

As a founding member of another important group within SigEp, the NUTS! McAuliffe Society, Rakosky helped author the original plan to cover the costs of undergraduates’ registration fees to attend Conclave. His involvement in that group, which is still active after more than 20 years, is yet another example of Rakosky’s deep commitment to our undergraduate brothers.

Dale Werts, Baker ’84
From taking on his first volunteer role with his home chapter as a young professional to becoming a key volunteer with a chapter across the country, Dale Werts has been a trusted friend and mentor to countless SigEp brothers for the last four decades. Werts learned just how much the unconditional love and support of brothers means when he experienced the loss of several family members over a short period. Their friendship sustained him and gave him the strength to continue law school. That experience motivated Werts to spend his life giving back to the Fraternity that supported him in his darkest hour.

During his decade volunteering with Kansas Alpha as AVC treasurer, Werts implemented policies that led to significant improvements in the group’s financial health. Most notably, he helped the chapter realize the long-held dream of renovating and expanding the chapter house. Today, the chapter home stands as a tangible reminder of Werts’ dedication to sound financial management. He not only led the AVC’s fundraising efforts for the project (“Brotherhood 2000”), he also oversaw the construction contracts, permitting and work.

Werts followed his successful tenure as treasurer with an equally impactful 12 years as AVC president. He continued to advocate for and implement policies that improved chapter and AVC operations and also called on his legal background to educate Kansas Alpha undergraduates about member safety best practices. Thanks to his presentations on risk management, brothers have a healthy respect for the importance of consent and awareness of the dangers of alcohol and drug use.

His genuine fondness for undergraduate brothers shines through in everything he does. Beyond looking out for the chapter’s financial and physical wellbeing, Werts makes a special effort to get to know the brothers of Kansas Alpha and each year, treats the chapter’s seniors to a special dinner to celebrate their graduation.

His leadership is so widely respected throughout the Fraternity that undergraduates from other chapters look up to him and seek out his advice. While advising Massachusetts Iota (Boston College), Werts traveled 1,500 miles to Boston to meet with chapter leaders and volunteers and help them craft a plan to improve the chapter’s finances and recruiting. As an expression of its gratitude, the chapter named its Balanced Man Scholarship in his honor. Today, he serves as finance mentor to both Massachusetts Iota and Wisconsin Zeta at Marquette, sits on the Virginia Omicron AVC at Lynchburg, and serves as district governor for District 28.

In acknowledgement of his service and leadership, Werts was previously recognized with the Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Exemplary Service Award.