Maryland Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta

What are you doing this Friday for lunch?

Want to get outside, have some fun, have some food at a cookout, network, and most importantly, serve an amazing group of kids?

Come on by the Piedmont Learning Center (5517 Piedmont Ave, Baltimore, MD 21207) starting at 11am until 2pm for

Cookout over the campfire
Our famous Historic Hike through Gwynn Oak Park
Put on a bee suit and see the honeybees
Check out our gardens, the chickens,
Create some art
Meet some other community leaders
Have fun with some great kids from I AM MENtality. https://iammentality.com/

Let Brother Steve Kopelman (Bond #1416) know if you can make it. At least five alumni Phis will be in attendance.

If not, and you would like to donate to this fun day to get the kids outside and connected with nature, let’s talk!

Questions, concerns? Call, email, or text me.

Steve Kopelman
Pathfinder
o: 410-298-5643
m: 908-249-1788
www.GetActiveEX.com

Get Active Ex

Brother Michael Coulter (Bond #1603) was featured on CBS 60 Minutes last night for his role as CEO of Hanwha Defense USA. You can watch it here at

The Hanwha Philly shipyard delivers around 1 ship a year. A South Korean Hanwha shipyard delivers 1 a week. The Trump administration has called the floundering American shipbuilding industry an economic and national security crisis. Getting help from overseas may be one way to save the domestic industry.

We still have a few to track down, but check out this new Composite Gallery from 1930-Present. Really proud of the new undergrads for putting this together.

Maryland Alpha Composites

Registration is now open for our 95th Anniversary event on Oct 25. Everyone that signs up before Oct 10 will get a t-shirt courtesy of G&G Outfitters.

Copy of FINAL PRODUCT PHI DEL UMD WEBSITE

With all of the generous support of our esteemed alumni base, the doors of Maryland Alpha will re-open this weekend.

We still have some work to do, especially in furnishing our bedrooms, study room and theatre room, but I am very proud and thankful for the 100+ donors to the Terrapin Fund at the Phi Delta Theta Foundation that has raised close to $500,000 to support scholarships and education related fixes to our house. You can still donate and check out our donor list at https://www.classy.org/campaign/maryland-alpha-terrapin-fund/c578582

In addition, I would like to thank Trevor Wise ( #1569) of Enviromental Landcare, LLC for landscaping, Ed Castle ( #1196) of E M Castle Construction Inc for help with our lighting, HVAC and windows, and the family of the late Marvin Perry ( #426) for getting us new first floor furniture at cost.

Chris Washburn ( #1534), Jeff Rivest ( #1037) and Durke Thompson ( #707) all deserve a shout out for their thoughtful planning and strategic leadership in navigating our return.

With the support of Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters, we have Joey Arpaia joining us as a full-time recruitment specialist for the entire year and living in the house. Please send him any names of friends or family that may want to rush our chapter at [email protected]. We will be offering 28 housing scholarships for the very best 28 men that we recruit this year.

Lastly, please make sure the evening of October 25, 2025 is on your calendar to celebrate our return and 95 years on campus. We will be inducting Gary Williams ( #1683) and Adam Hasner ( #1475) into our Hall of Fame. Not only will R.J. Bentley’s be hosting a Phi Delt Appreciation Night following our event, but all that register starting next week will get a free t-shirt courtesy of Rich Gergar ( #1392) and Doug Gardner ( #1399) off G&G Outfitters.

Hi, my name is Joey Arpaia, I will be a full-time employee of Phi Delta Theta working and living in the chapter house as a Recruitment Specialist on the University of Maryland campus for the entire 2025-26 school year. This was, in part, made possible by the successful fundraising effort of the Terrapin Fund at the Phi Delta Theta Foundation.

I recently graduated from Seton Hall University with a degree in finance and a minor in data analytics and analysis. I was part of the New Jersey Gamma chapter of Phi Delta Theta, where I had the chance to step into multiple leadership roles, including chapter president. During my tenure, the chapter experienced historic membership growth and received multiple awards for excellence in operations and leadership. That experience taught me a lot about teamwork, accountability, and building something that lasts.

I am originally from Staten Island, New York, and I’m the oldest of three brothers. I’ve always been someone who values connection and community, whether that’s through brotherhood, the gym, or taking on new challenges with purpose and energy.

When I think about what Phi Delt gave me, it’s so much more than just a college experience. It gave me a platform to lead, to grow, and to surround myself with people who made me better. Being chapter president taught me lessons I’ll carry for life. I took this job because I’ve seen the impact this brotherhood can have, and I want to help others find that same purpose and belonging.

I am especially excited to help bring back Maryland Alpha. This isn’t just a restart. It’s an opportunity to lean into a chapter with a long, proud history and help write its next chapter. I’m eager to connect with students on campus, build something meaningful from the ground up, and help create a brotherhood that honors the past while looking confidently toward the future. I am so grateful for being given this opportunity, and I can’t wait to be part of it.

Feel free to reach out to me anytime with questions. We are also always looking for volunteers to support our efforts. Most importantly, please send me any referrals of students (sons, neighbors, family friends, etc) that may be interested in joining Maryland Alpha over the next year.

Joey Arpaia
Recruitment Specialist, Maryland Alpha
Phi Delta Theta Fraternity
[email protected]
+1 513-280-6511

Alumni Spotlight: Michael Coulter (Bond #1603), CEO and President of Hanwha Global Defense
https://www.hanwha.com/careers/life-at-hanwha/leading-hanwhas-global-defense-strategy-michael-coulters-vision-for-building-whats-next.do?

Life at Hanwha: Michael Coulter Michael Coulter shares how his global defense experience fuels Hanwha’s mission for security, innovation, and partnership.

In Coelo Quies Est Brother Bob "Turtle" Smith (Bond #671). In addition to serving on the Nu Sigma Omicron Housing Corporation for a decade, Bob generously started a Whole Man Scholarship in his name at the Phi Delta Theta Foundation. His generosity extended to Maryland Athletics with over $3M donated over his lifetime and the baseball field being named in his honor. Please take a moment to read his obituary. He will be missed by many that got the chance to know him.

Robert W. “Bob” “Turtle” Smith Obituary - The Herald-Mail It is with deep sorrow that the family announces the passing of Bob Smith. Bob was born to Catherine & Harry Smith in Chewsville, MD. Bob was the...

As we prepare to return to the University of Maryland campus this Fall, I am excited to share this Save the Date announcement for Saturday, October 25, 2025. We will be hosting a 95th Anniversary event and Maryland Alpha Hall of Fame induction from 5:30-7:30pm at our chapter house in College Park.

We will be inducting Adam Hasner ( #1475), Florida Atlantic University President, and Gary Williams ( #1683), Maryland Basketball Coaching Legend, into our Hall of Fame. To see others that have been inducted into this exclusive group, please click here: https://umdphidelt.com/hall-of-fame/

The event promises to give alumni, family and friends a chance to reconnect and reminisce. You will also get to see all the chapter house renovations that will be completed this summer. Lastly, R.J. Bentley’s will be hosting an after party for our alumni after the event.

More information will be shared over the coming months.

The to support our return to campus with fixes for the fraternity house is now live and ends April 4th! Log on to bid or donate to give back.

Special thanks to our generous item donors and to Mike DuVall for organizing.

https://charityauction.bid/PHIDELTATHETAUMD

This an open Auction so all are welcome that want to participate.

Phi Delta Theta Auction Phi Delta Theta Auction

Hi Brothers:

Happy New Year! I hope everyone is getting ready for some holiday time with family.

I am happy to report we are closing in on our goal of $500,000 by the end of the year for the Maryland Alpha Terrapin Fund managed by the Phi Delta Theta Foundation. For more information or to donate, please visit https://www.classy.org/campaign/maryland-alpha-terrapin-fund/c578582

Now that we have successfully kicked off the Terrapin Fund, our chapter reinstallation efforts are going to temporarily pivot to focus on raising money to directly benefit house renovations via the Nu Sigma Omicron Housing Corporation.

This includes new furniture (to keep our grand appearance), new HVAC units and painting every room in the house. As many of you know, the Nu Sigma Omicron Housing Corporation was established decades ago to manage the property, and therefore the virtual silent auction effort will benefit that organization. We want to maintain the “wow factor” that many of us had the opportunity to enjoy.

Our goal is to collect items by the end of February and host a virtual silent auction for a week in March online. Details will be shared as we get closer to the event.

We are looking for any item or service that brothers would pay money for. Some example items/services might include:

• Vacation rentals near and far
• Tickets to sporting or other events
• Restaurant gift certificates
• Professional services like personal tax returns, tutoring, landscaping, etc.
• Golf outings
• Excursions – fishing, helicopter, private plane, etc.

Please think of brothers or friends that may want to donate to help us raise money for the chapter house. Our goal is to have the Phi Delta Theta house the most beautiful and best maintained fraternity house on campus.

Please let me know if you have any virtual silent auction items/services to donate. And special thanks to Mike DuVall for stepping up to help manage the virtual silent auction.

Feel free to call me at 301-775-2979 to discuss.

Yours in the Bond,

Adam Luecking, #1720

Great turnout by alumni excited to get us back on campus next year!