Who is Brother Mark S. Tillman and What is Next for Alpha Phi Alpha?

Brother James R. Williams, the 25th General President

Asked us to invest in a “back to basics” philosophy to ensure the greatness of our past.

Brother Ozell Sutton, the 26th General President

Asked us to invest in the struggle for human rights to maintain and ensure our civil liberties are intact.

Brother Charles C. Teamer, Sr., the 27th General President

Asked us to invest in our internal structure to ensure organizational effectiveness.

Brother Henry Ponder, the 28th General President

Asked us to invest in the property of our general office and to ensure it grows in value.

Brother Milton C. Davis, the 29th General President

Asked us to invest in our own renaissance, rekindle our spirit, and ensure our buying power supports Alpha Phi Alpha.

Brother Adrian L. Wallace, the 30th General President

Asked us to invest in Alpha University and produce graduates from the school for the better making of men.

Brother Harry E. Johnson Sr., the 31st General President

Asked us to invest in an attitude to carry Alpha Phi Alpha forward and to ensure that our presence is felt as we walk into a room.

Brother Darryl R. Matthews, Sr., the 32nd General President

Asked us to invest in our mission and strategic plan to ensure Alpha Phi Alpha’s long-term viability is structurally, operationally, and fiscally strong.

Brother Herman “Skip” Mason, Jr., the 33rd General President

Asked us to invest in the history of Alpha Phi Alpha, believe in what seven young men started, and to ensure our legacy for generations to come.

You are probably wondering, what is next for Alpha Phi Alpha and what direction will I take as your 34th General President?  Each of these men allowed me to invest in their specific and visionary direction for the fraternity. As I now approach 26 years of dedicated and committed service in November, I am asking you to invest in my direction to ensure the continuation of our future, build upon the successes our past leadership, and establish a new legacy and its supporting vision.

Did you know that within the first five years of crossing the burning sands Alpha Phi Alpha loses approximately 75% of newly initiated members? “Why I desire to be an Alpha?” is suddenly replaced with “What is Alpha doing and what can Alpha do for me?”

NOTE: A 30 year trend of brothers initiated since 1980 and whose grand tax or life membership is currently satisfied.

My vision is to rekindle the energy in our brotherhood, ignite the fire to re-enforce the value proposition of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and expand upon the ideals of our revered seven jewels.

I know that I can set the tone to reverse the perception that Alpha Phi Alpha has hit a plateau with our brothers who have disconnected themselves from our mission. It will take a committed effort from every brother in this fraternity to work as a team. I am committed to providing tangible growth for our fraternity that is designed to be servants of all.

I want to lead Alpha Phi Alpha to show the value of a member’s financial and fraternal investment, and that value will be the precursor to everything we do as a brotherhood. Value is obtained by showing that our programs will earn a profit, is significant, and rooted in substance.  We must demonstrate the commitment to providing and achieving “best in class” service and quality to our membership such that chapters can service its members and the community locally.

The Alpha Investment is about YOU Brother. I want OUR fraternity to invest in you and in turn you will invest in the FRATERNITY. Imagine the dividends we will gain as we rely on each other and invest internally on the talents of our brotherhood to support our mission.

Self-invested capital of our brothers in education, health, music, business, entrepreneurship, politics, finance, science, and service will allow us to maintain and enhance our position as 21st century change agents. We will leave a legacy for the next generation of initiates who will carry the torch of our seven jewels to advocate and to serve our community.

The Alpha Investment is my passion and my way of life in this fraternity. I want to continue sharing my passion and impact with you as the 34th General President.

I will invest in our corporate identity and structure – ensuring protection and growth of our corporate assets.

I will invest in the transition of our college brothers to “life after college” and ensure that the initiation of every member is not the pinnacle, but the start, of his Alpha experience – promoting opportunities that integrate and connect members of the fraternity at different stages of their lives.

I will invest in our viability as a leading organization within our community in the 21st century and beyond – maintaining the focus on our National Programs and Special Projects, while challenging the “status quo” as we evolve our approach to new issues.

Through my dedication, I want you to believe in my passion that Alpha Phi Alpha is, and always will be, the greatest organization and that status is built and reinforced one brother at a time.

To truly know someone you must understand what he or she is most passionate about.  As a dedicated member of the fraternity, I am passionate about education, and valued my time as a student of Computer Science and as an Alpha man at Dillard University.

I am passionate about service, and have dedicated myself to giving back to my community.  One of my most gratifying commitments has been as a mentor for Big Brothers/Big Sisters for over 10 years to Devan, Crispin, and now Elijah.

I am passionate about leadership. For over two decades of service to Alpha Phi Alpha, I understand we are called upon to lead and address critical needs of the organization and our community.  With this mentality, I approached my responsibilities as the Immediate Past Vice President of the Midwestern Region, at every single moment of my tenure.

When combined, these elements fuel my continued passion for our great fraternity.  I strive to be versatile and ambitious on behalf of Alpha Phi Alpha, using my passions for its advancement.  I have held many positions in the fraternity – leading as an Area Director of Southeast Michigan, as District Director of Michigan, as an Associate Executive Director of the Midwestern Region, and my four year tenure as the Midwestern Regional Vice President.  But more important than the positions I held, is how my passion is manifested through these positions of leadership and the impact I had.

–the impact of continued growth and success of every Alpha man exhibited during college brother retreats

–the impact of re-enforcing brotherhood fellowship and critical training for brothers on Alpha protocol, accountability and leadership.   

–the impact of having one of the highest collegiate member attendance rates at the Alpha Leadership Academy

–the impact of developing a system of accountability and rewarding brothers for taking academic achievement seriously

–the impact that was exhibited during leadership conferences, where I provided opportunities for brothers to think critically about key aspects of true leadership and compliance within the fraternity. 

–the impact where my leadership ensured that my district and my region provided service in our convention host cities, chapters remained in high compliance, being financially self-sufficient, with transparency, and without any outstanding debt.

My passions, my leadership, and my impact define who I am, and speak to my commitment, qualifications, and humility to serve as your 34th General President.  Brother, this is who I am, this is what I stand for, and this is my vision.

I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE when you receive your ballot in April of 2012! Invest in my direction as we invest together in Alpha Phi Alpha.

Fraternally,

Brother Mark S. Tillman,
Candidate for 34th General President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.