The Nominating Committee of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, chaired by Immediate Past National President Dr. Darhyl Ramsey, met over the last few months to consider nominations for four National Executive Committee positions open for election during the 2009 National Convention. The Nominating Committee is pleased to announce its selections for the official slate of nominees for these important positions.

Other nominations will be welcomed from the National Assembly floor during the legislative sessions of the National Convention. For more information on the procedure by which one can be nominated from the floor, please refer to the National Constitution and/or contact the National Headquarters.

Only four positions on the NEC are nominated through this system. The other committeeman-at-large position, currently held by Walter Riley, Zeta Iota (Howard) ’98, continues from the previous triennium; the two committeemen serve staggered six-year terms. The chairmen of the PGs’ Council and CPRs’ Council are elected by their respective councils, rather than by the full National Assembly.

Nominee for National President
John A. Mongiovi, Upsilon Psi (South Florida) ’94

John Mongiovi was initiated on April 8, 1994 as a collegiate member of Upsilon Psi Chapter at the University of South Florida, and April 24, 2004 as an honorary member of Mu Chapter at the University of Oklahoma. He served two terms as Chapter President, and two terms as Collegiate Province Representative (CPR) of Province 13.

John was elected Chairman of the CPR Council in 1997. As Council Chairman he brought greater representation and productivity to the CPR Convocation. By incorporating specific goals into a new CPR Manual, John focused the collegiate leaders and the Fraternity on eliminating hazing, developing membership education, and increasing community music outreach. 

After his term as CPR Chair, John was elected Committeeman-at-Large for the triennium 2000-2006. He also served as the National Historian from 2000 to 2006. As Historian, John ensured the preservation of many of the Fraternity’s most fragile documents and artifacts, developed and catalogued the archives, acquired and developed displays, developed a volunteer event to create the online archive of Sinfonia history, and worked with the Headquarters to put in place procedures for ongoing preservation. John has twice served as a Trustee of the Foundation, and authored its mission. He is currently the National Vice President for the triennium 2006-2009.

John’s research and teaching have done much to refocus the attention of the Fraternity on its ideals, mission, and origin. His work has led to the restoration of many original ceremonies and rituals; the compilation of the writings of and biographical information on Mills, Burrell, and other leaders of the Fraternity; the establishment of the Mills Music Mission in 1998; and the understanding and restoration of the Fraternity’s Object in 2003.

John is well-known for his work with the Initiation Ritual, and has spoken at over two hundred chapter, province, and national events on this topic. He is one of the organizers of the Ritual Education Workshop, which has received enthusiastic praise and has increased in attendance each year.

In his professional work John is a consulting hypnotist and lecturer. He is certified as a licensed hypnotist by the Medical Licensing Board of the State of Indiana, and is a Certified Hypnotist and Member of the National Guild of Hypnotists. John received the Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Rollins College and the Master of Music degree in music theory at the University of South Florida. He resides in Evansville, Indiana.

Nominee for National Vice President
Mark R. Lichtenberg, Delta Nu (Bradley) ’93

Mark Lichtenberg was initiated in 1993 into Delta Nu Chapter, which he later served as President. He served Province 5 as a two-term Collegiate Province Representative (1996-1998) and Province Governor since 1998. Brother Lichtenberg is currently serving his second consecutive term as Chairman of the Province Governor Council. Under Mark’s leadership the Province Governor Council has an increased level of participation and has always had quorum at its meetings. As Chair, he transformed the Council’s annual meetings to facilitate the development of an effective team of governors, and provide materials that will assist in the future training and development of the Council. 

Brother Lichtenberg has served as National Secretary-Treasurer since 2003. His meticulous attention to detail has helped the Fraternity make accurate budget forecasts, which has resulted in greater operational stability. He has more knowledge about the Fraternity’s finances and budget than any other volunteer, and has demonstrated exceptional leadership and wise judgment in this area. 

Mark has served on national committees including Awards, Nominating, and Legislative, which he currently chairs. As a delegate at the past five National Conventions, he has taken the initiative on numerous pieces of legislation to improve many aspects of our Fraternity, including the appointment and duties of Province Governors, the display and regulation of Fraternity symbols, and the restoration of the Object.

Beyond excelling in the performance of his official duties, Mark has been a dedicated and selfless worker for the education of his brothers. He helped to develop the Mills Music Mission and is one of the primary authors of the Guide to Color Nights and the current edition of Themes for Brotherhood. His Comparative Study of the Initiation Rituals of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and work on the proposed revision of the Ritual is an enormous contribution to the Fraternity’s body of knowledge. Brother Lichtenberg’s influence and teaching over the last decade has resulted in accuracy and consistency in the staging of the Ritual throughout the country, and improved fraternity education overall.

Brother Lichtenberg received Bachelor of Music degrees in Applied Music and Music Education from Bradley University. He currently teaches instrumental music at Thompkins Middle School in Evansville, IN where he resides with his wife, Courtney, son, Drew, and daughter, Sophia. He serves as Treasurer of the Evansville Teachers Association and was recently nominated for a Celebration of Leadership Award in the Arts in Evansville.

Nominee for Committeeman-At-Large
K. Dean Shatley II, Rho Tau (Appalachian State) ’93

K. Dean Shatley II was initiated into the Rho Tau chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity at Appalachian State University in the fall of 1993. Brother Shatley served his chapter as historian and fraternity education officer, before being elected assistant collegiate province representative and collegiate province representative. As CPR, he represented Province 20 at the 1997 National Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. After graduating from Appalachian in 1997, Dean was hired as Director of Bands at J. H. Rose High School in Greenville, NC, and shortly thereafter was appointed deputy province governor of Province 20.

In 1999, Dean began his nine year tenure as province governor. By the end of his service as governor, the province had grown to nine chapters with a collegiate membership of over 220 and attendance at province workshops grew from an average of 40 to over 120. During his tenure, Province 20 was one of two provinces to pilot the position of province alumni coordinator, a role which has now been extended to nearly every province in the fraternity. 

At the national level, Brother Shatley has served as the chair of the Awards Committee, as well as a member of the Legislative Committee and Nominations Committee. As chair of the Risk Management committee, he played a key role in the drafting of the Fraternity’s current risk management policies. He has been invited on numerous occasions to address province and regional workshops throughout the country on the issues of hazing and risk management. Dean has attended every National Convention since 1997.

In 2008, Dean stepped down from the governorship to take on the position of Chairman of the Enhanced Collegiate Experience Leadership Team. In this capacity, he has engaged over fifty brothers across the country in fulfilling the Fraternity’s first strategic plan. 

Brother Shatley currently resides in Asheville, NC with his wife Jennifer, and practices education law with the firm of Roberts & Stevens, P.A. He is the past chairman of the Board of Directors for the Asheville Area Arts Council, is a member of the North Carolina State Personnel Commission, and volunteers his time with local charities and organizations. In his spare time, he enjoys playing saxophone in the community band, hiking, being a poor golfer, and shooting trap. 

Nominee for National Collegiate Representative
Remington Leach, Xi Lambda (Northern Kentucky) ’05

Remington Leach was initiated into the Xi Lambda Chapter at Northern Kentucky University in the fall of 2005. He has served on numerous committees, served as chapter president for two terms and is currently serving his first term as Collegiate Province Representative.

Remington first showed leadership within his chapter when he served as the chairman for the Xi Lambda Holiday Concert in the fall of 2006. In this capacity, Remington arranged for the NKU Prep Department to perform on the concert as well as coordinated with a local food bank to collect cans for donation. In an effort to support the national Fraternity’s community outreach in 2007, Remington organized a screening of the documentary, Before the Music Dies. He is currently serving as the Vice-Chairman of the Xi Lambda 15th Anniversary Celebration Committee. As vice- chairman, Remington has set forth a vision for the committee and is working with his fellow committee members to formulate the first alumni event of its kind for the chapter.

After being elected president in the spring of 2007, Remington was immediately thrust into a situation of an above-normal chapter financial crisis. In one semester, through Remington’s leadership, the chapter raised enough money to surmount the debt and have a surplus in their account for the first time in two years. Remington also coordinated Xi Lambda’s first anti-hazing awareness event based upon information he received while attending the Fraternity’s 2008 Leadership Institute. He worked to ensure that the chapter was known throughout the campus of NKU by being active in the Homecoming events, singing at basketball games and ensuring that the NKU community knew their alma mater.

As Collegiate Province Representative, Remington was selected to serve on a committee to revise the CPR Manual at the 2008 CPR Convocation. He has introduced legislation for the 2009 National Convention pertaining to CPR accountability, has proposed to create a new province position (Province Historian) and is working to build greater brotherhood throughout Province 25. 

Remington was first introduced to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at age 14 during Foster Music Camp by Dr. Richard Crosby, who is currently the Province Governor of Province 25. Since then he has grown to love the Fraternity through the guidance of his Faculty Advisor, David Dunevant. Remington is earning a Bachelor of Arts in History at NKU. He hopes to pursue graduate work in public history and to continue as a collegiate member.