Josh Handell
| Josh Handell | |
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| Name | Josh Handell |
| Chapter | Beta Alpha University of Michigan |
| Date Inducted | December 3, 2008 |
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| Major | International Law, Economics, French & Francophone Studies |
| Birthdate | February 26, 1989 |
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Josh Handell (born 26 February 1989) is an alumnus and the chair of the Alumni Advisory Council of Beta Alpha Chapter at the University of Michigan. His three-year term on the Alumni Advisory Council began at the conclusion of his presidency of Beta Alpha in 2011.
Contents
Personal Information
Josh Handell is a first-year student at the Yale Law School. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 with Honors in International Law, Economics, and French & Francophone Studies. In addition to Phi Sigma Pi, he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Journal of Political Science, an alumni mentor for the Public Service Intern Program, and a former undergraduate intern for the United States Department of State.
Collegiate Career
Initiate Semester
Handell rushed Phi Sigma Pi in fall 2008 and was initiated as a member of the Alpha Eta class on October 1, 2008. He was elected scholarship chair of his initiate class and helped to plan the joint scholarship-fellowship-leadership initiate event. On December 3, 2008, he was inducted as a brother of Phi Sigma Pi, along with eight other members of the Alpha Eta class.
Committee Membership
During his first semester as a brother, Handell served on the Leadership Committee, helping to plan the Chicago trip promoting the Teach for America classroom there. He later served on the Rush/Initiation Committee and the Scholarship Committee, both in ex officio roles.
Initiate Advisor
At the end of the 2008-09 school year, Handell was elected Initiate Advisor and co-chair of the Rush/Initiation Committee. In such capacity, he co-chaired the Rush and Initiation Committee with Rush Advisor Sam Greenberg, achieving a 100% retention rate while guiding 5 Initiates to Brotherhood during the fall semester and a 90% retention rate while guiding 27 of 30 pinned Initiates to Brotherhood during the winter.
During the fall of 2009, Handell proposed a bylaw amendment providing for the recruitment of first-semester freshmen through the creation of Beta Alpha chapter's groundbreaking Affiliate Program. The bylaw was passed and the first class of Affiliates numbered six students, four of whom were initiated into the Alpha Kappa class in the winter of 2010.
For his accomplishments with the fall Initiate class and the Affiliate Program, Handell shared the honor of "Brother of the Semester" with his G-Big David Fuller.
Bigs and Littles
Josh Handell's Big Brother is Sam Greenberg, who is an active member currently serving as Beta Alpha chapter's Treasurer. He is part of the Masters family, whose active members include Handell's Little Brother Dominic Czarnota, Czarnota's Little Brothers Kim Brisse and Holly Stehlin, Big Brother Greenberg, and Greenberg's Big Brother David Fuller.
Presidency
Election & Platform
On March 21, 2010, Handell was elected President of Beta Alpha Chapter for the 2010-2011 school year. He was opposed in the presidential election by Kelly Roy, then the Chapter's Parliamentarian, who was elected to serve as his Vice President.
He has stated that the goals of his presidency include the reestablishment of a clear, consistent, enforceable, and enforced Risk Management Policy; the elevation of Phi Sigma Pi's reputation on campus through partnerships with other organizations; the enhancement of Beta Alpha Chapter's role in the Great Lakes Region; the promotion of the Chapter's Affiliate Program to pilot schools across the country; the maintenance of high morale, sustainable solidarity, and consistent transparency; and the ultimate procurement of a Joseph Torchia Outstanding Chapter Award for Beta Alpha.
Accomplishments
On the first day of his presidency in April 2010, President Handell led the Executive Board in adopting revisions to Beta Alpha's Risk Management Policy, raising semester dues by 5% to ensure the long-term fiscal solvency of the Chapter, setting a higher standard for attendance points to be considered in local good standing, and authorizing the purchase of a copy of Robert's Rules of Order to keep the Chapter in compliance with national guidelines.
In September 2010, President Handell proposed and secured passage of a bylaw amendment making the Affiliate Program a permanent part of Beta Alpha's recruiting efforts. That same month, he worked with the Treasurer, Sam Greenberg, to pass a policy proposal allowing for the collection of a retainer in addition to dues that would help protect the Chapter against non-payment of financial obligations by delinquent or graduating Brothers. In October 2010, he wrote, proposed, and secured passage of the revised Beta Alpha Risk Management Policy. In February 2011, he oversaw the planning and execution of the Great Lakes Regional Convention, hosted by Beta Alpha Chapter. Throughout his presidency, he continued to promote the Affiliate Program to other chapters around the country.
At the Phi Sigma Pi National Convention in August 2011, Beta Alpha Chapter was recognized with the Best in Region award for the Great Lakes Region.
