Every year, Pi Kappa Phi names a brother to be given the highest and most prestigious honor of the fraternity: Mr. Pi Kappa Phi.
This year, the fraternity is honoring two men as Mr. Pi Kappa Phi. Brother Jeff Wahlen was announced and honored earlier this year.
Now Pi Kappa Phi has the honor of naming Mark E. Timmes, Alpha Epsilon (Florida) as Mr. Pi Kappa Phi 2022.
Mark E. Timmes has served Pi Kappa Phi and the Interfraternal community since his initiation into the Alpha Epsilon (Florida) chapter in 1976. Brother Timmes began his career of service to Pi Kappa Phi and the interfraternal community during his time as a student, helping his chapter grow from sixteen men to nearly 100 and serving as Archon, Treasurer, and Rush Chairman, as well as Interfraternity Council president. In 1979 he was named national Student of the Year, and the University of Florida inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1980.
As an alumnus, he started his career path at Pi Kappa Phi Headquarters serving as Director of Communications from 1979 to 1981. He decided to further his academic career and continued serving the Fraternity while in law school at the University of Florida as president of the Alpha Epsilon Chapter housing corporation and was recognized as Mr. Alpha Epsilon in 1986. He returned to the national headquarters staff in 1994 as the staff attorney and the Fraternity’s eighth Executive Director; became the Chief Executive Officer in 1995; and served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi Properties, and the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation until 2022 and as Chief Executive Officer of Push America, now known as The Ability Experience, from 1994 to 2004.
Interfraternally, Brother Timmes served the community as a member of the FRMT, Ltd. board of directors (1996–2015), including time as vice chairman; president of the Fraternity Executives Association (2010–2011); and the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) governing council (2015–2022), including time as secretary and treasurer. He has been recognized for his interfraternal leadership with the Fraternity Executives Association Distinguished Service Award (2022), FarmHouse Fraternity Rick Barnes Interfraternalism Award (2022), NIC Gold Medal (2021), the Southeastern Interfraternity Conference Durward W. Owen Interfraternal Service Award (2018), and the Fraternity Communications Association’s Eric C. Varner, Jr. Fraternal Communications Award (2017).
The impact of Brother Mark E. Timmes’ loyalty, experience, and wisdom will have lasting effects on our brotherhood. He has been integral in bringing our brotherhood into the 21st century. We are a strong brotherhood and national organzation today because of him.