Brother Joe Morel is a 2002 graduate of Western Kentucky University and has been an active alumnus of Phi Delta Theta and his alma mater. Joe currently serves as the Eta North province president, covering most Kentucky chapters. Before becoming province president, Joe served on the Kentucky Eta chapter advisory board for twelve years in various offices, including as chairman for ten years. Joe also serves on the Pallas Athena Holdings Board for Phi Delta Theta’s North Hall Properties. Joe has served as a faculty member at both the McKenzie Family Presidents Leadership Conference and Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute for over fifteen years. In addition to his service to the Fraternity, Joe serves as a member of the board of directors for the WKU Athletic Foundation, Junior Achievement, Key Club Advisor, and Kiwanis. Joe is a vice president and senior mortgage lender for Franklin Bank & Trust Company and lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife, Christi, and their two children, Spencer and Jillian.
Growing up in a divorced family, I moved around a lot in middle and high school and never really had the opportunity to make true lifelong friends that would last past high school. When coming to college, I really wanted to find a place where I could find a meaningful relationship with individuals who shared common values and goals as I did. My parents were not Greek, nor did I know any Greeks, so joining a fraternity didn’t interest me when I started my college experience. I chose a different avenue to contact others on campus by quickly becoming involved with various student organizations and looking for individuals to connect with who would help my time on campus be rewarding and meaningful. To my surprise, all the individuals I was drawn to were members of Phi Delta Theta, and I began to see myself more likely to consider this Greek life that I was hearing so much about. The members began to invite me to the chapter house during the spring semester of my freshman year to hang out and get to know more about who they were and what this brotherhood was really all about. The more I spent time with the members, the more I saw in them something I wanted: that sense of belonging and support that I had been missing growing up. From that moment, I was hooked, and my Phi Delta Theta experience skyrocketed. I had the fortune of holding numerous offices, including vice president and Phikeia educator. During that time, I began to find confidence in myself and my ability to work with others for a common goal. My undergraduate experience was an above-average experience as our chapter was named best fraternity on campus for three of my four years and brought home two Founders Trophies from General Headquarters as well.
Some of my best memories from Phi Delta Theta involve spending time on the front porch of our chapter house. Whether we gathered after class on a beautiful day to play football, horseshoes, or some yard game we made up, or those summers listening to music when just a handful of us lived in the house, I remember those moments with my brothers and the conversations and experiences we had just hanging out the most.
A common theme in my Phi Delta Theta experience has been Charley Pride, WKU ’87. Charley’s presence in my life as an undergrad inspired me to continue giving back to my Fraternity once I graduated. He has continued to be a friend, big brother, and mentor who has helped me become the individual I am today, both in my Phi Delta Theta life and my personal life. Getting to give back to this Fraternity alongside great people like Charley is why I continue to volunteer to this day.
I get asked why I still give back to my Fraternity twenty-three years after I graduated, and I respond, how can you determine if and when you have given back enough to an organization that changed your life and has played some sort of role in everything you have accomplished and gained in your adult life. My time with Phi Delta Theta has been so amazing, and I hope that through my efforts, someone else will get a fraction of the experience I did, which will help shape and mold their life into something beyond their expectations.
