17 Fun Facts About Sean Wagner, Phi Delta Theta Fraternity’s Fifth CEO and Executive Vice President

On July 1, 2020, Sean Wagner became the Fraternity’s fifth executive serving as Executive Vice President & CEO of Phi Delta Theta International Fraternity and President of the Phi Delta Theta Foundation. Having served Phi Delta Theta for 17 years in many capacities, we thought it would be fun to ask Sean for seventeen fun facts about him.

1. Born: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Resides: Oxford, Ohio.
2. Became Bond #216 of the Pennsylvania Mu Chapter at Widener University on September 12, 1999, one day after his nineteenth birthday.
3. Led the implementation of alcohol-free housing at Pennsylvania Mu as chapter president from 2000-2001.
4. Married college sweetheart, Michelle Miller, a member of Delta Phi Epsilon.
5. Is an only child, but is very thankful for his 273,000 Fraternity brothers.
6. Is the dad to one daughter Elise, but he also takes the role of Big Brother to 14,000 undergraduates very seriously.
7. Dad, Stephen Wagner, Bond #269 at Pennsylvania Mu, became a special initiate during the 2006 General Convention in Kansas City.
8. After serving as a leadership consultant for one year, Sean was in Subaru of America’s management associate program before returning to GHQ to give back to Phi Delta Theta and realizing his calling for public service and nonprofit leadership.
9. Why he’s passionate to serve Phi Delta Theta as its fifth executive: “I believe that someone’s born situation should not determine their lot in life. Becoming a Phi Delt exposes people to leadership experiences, relationships, and a values-centered life that improves every member’s personal trajectory. Our role at GHQ is to enable and sponsor that transformational experience. In these uncertain times where leaders are needed more than ever, and the world is looking to provide greater opportunities for all, our society has the chance to be more impactful than ever.
10. To date, Sean has represented Phi Delta Theta at 117 campuses in thirty six states and two Canadian provinces.
11. Will be the second oldest Phi Delta Theta executive to assume the role after that of first executive secretary Arthur R. Priest.
12. Favorite Phi Delt moment: “I’ll never forget my first trip to Oxford for what was then Leadership College. I entered a room jam packed with hundreds of Phi Delts. All of a sudden my Fraternity was bigger than my chapter and my campus, and my membership in Phi Delta Theta was even more special.”
13. In addition to being on the GHQ staff, he has also served on chapter advisory boards for both the Pennsylvania Zeta (University of Pennsylvania) and Ohio Theta (University of Cincinnati) Chapters.
14. Has a masters in public administration from Northern Kentucky University (home of the Kentucky Kappa Colony and the defending Men’s Basketball Horizon League Champions) where he is a member of the Go Norse Board that raises funds for NKU athletics and student athletes.
15. Favorite podcasts: The Tim Ferriss Show, Recode Decode with Kara Swisher, The Bill Simmons Podcast, and the Rights to Ricky Sanchez (The ONLY podcast of the Philadelphia 76ers whose Process Sean trusts).
16. Trains for and runs in two half marathons a year with former GHQ staff member, province president, and fellow Iron Phi Jon Collier.
17. Was the board president for the Inner City Tennis Project, a nonprofit that provides an affordable tennis experience to children in Greater Cincinnati, with an emphasis on increasing participation of inner city youth.