Two Chi Phi Brothers are running for a position on the Board of
Trustees. Thomas J. Sharbaugh '73 and Mike Murphy '80 are both dedicated
to improving the Penn State community and need YOUR support to help
them through the process. Mike has already achieve

Two Chi Phi Brothers are running for a position on the Board of
Trustees. Thomas J. Sharbaugh '73 and Mike Murphy '80 are both dedicated
to improving the Penn State community and need YOUR support to help
them through the process. Mike has already achieved the requirement of
50 votes to have his name on the ballot. Tom is working towards that
goal as they both reach out towards fellow brothers. All it takes is 50
alumni votes to be nominated. Show your support PSU and Chi Phi support
in making State College and the University a safer, more just place.
Both men have been committed and closely involved with Penn State for
many years and have the experience needed to be a trusted member of the
Board. They have reached out many times to the community, their
brothers, family and friends and are working on taking their campaigns
to the next step.



Find out more about Mike and Thomas and read about their future plans for the Board of Trustees elections.



Mike Murphy '80

My name is Mike Murphy (Chi PhiA.D. 1979 - 1980) and I am seeking the nominating vote of 50 fellow Penn State alumni in my effort to be elected to the Penn State Board of Trustees. It's expected that there will be an unusually high number of candidates running in this year's election for obvious reasons, starting with the way the Sandusky scandal has been handled and with the subsequent, inexcusable firing of Coach Paterno and related damage inflicted upon the university.

 

My first challenge is in simply securing the nominating votes of 50 alumni as a prerequisite for getting named on the spring election ballot. The second challenge will be how to differentiate myself from all the other candidates. I'll address this second challenge with a promotional website that will be forthcoming. I hope that our common bond through Chi Phi and Penn State will be enough for now to secure your nominating vote. If you'd like more information about me or would like to speak with me before agreeing to nominate me, feel free to drop me an e-mail or call my cell at 610-207-6444.

 

There are some immediate steps that I am asking your help with. Please note that the deadline for voting is February 25th:

 

1. Get a "Trustee Nomination Ballot". As alum, you may have already received an e-mail from the Board of Trustees with this information. If not, a ballot request needs to be submitted either by calling or via e-mail. Please contact the Board Office at 814-865-2521 or at BOT@psu.edu.

2. Complete the ballot simply by entering my full name and graduating class. Those that know me from Chi Phi will be surprised to learn that my full name is not Murph. Others will be surprised to learn that my first name is not Michael. When you complete the nominating form, please enter my name as it is registered at Penn State: Jimmie M. Murphy, class of 1980.

3. The final step is to send me an e-mail once you've completed the above nomination ballot on my behalf. This is critical so that I can keep track to be certain that I received the minimum 50 votes required.

 

My sincere thanks in advance for your help. We have a mess at our beloved Penn State and I'd be honored to be a part of a new team of leaders to begin the clean up.

Best Regards,

Murph



Thomas Sharbaugh '73

Fellow Chi Phi Brothers:

First, to those of you whom I have contacted earlier, please excuse this second request as part of the larger group.

 

As some of you know, I decided recently to run for one of the open slots on the Penn State Board of Trustees, and I am asking for your help as a Penn State alum.  My candidacy is different from most who are running in that I want to focus right away on rebuilding the University, including its self-image and its external image.  I hope that Coach Paterno’s death will unite the alumni in moving forward.  I have heard too many stories of potential employers shunning Penn State grads and of parents encouraging their children to stay away from Penn State.  We need to reverse this downward course now.

 

I am in the process of preparing a website that will include my views on a number of very pressing issues, including the impact of Penn State being the highest cost public university in the United States, the slashing of Pennsylvania support for general education to the lowest level since 1996 (it is 43% lower after taking inflation into account) and the University’s endowment being one of the lowest in the Big 10 and 33% smaller than Pitt’s.  I am very concerned that the current divisive rhetoric among the alumni will result in Penn State falling far behind its academic, as well as its athletic, competitors.

 

The first step is having 50 alumni nominate me for the election, and then if nominated, I would be included in the open election in the spring.  I would appreciate your help in achieving the nomination threshold.  An alumnus does not need to be a member of the Alumni Association in order to vote.

 

I wish that I could request ballots on your behalf, but you need to do this yourself.  If you did not receive a ballot by email on January 15, you can obtain one by sending an email in the following format (you will then receive your ballot by email):

 

To: BOT@psu.edu

 

Please send me by email a nomination ballot for the Board of Trustees election.

 

Name:

Class Year:

College:

Major:

Mailing Address:

Email Address:

 

Once you have a ballot, please insert my full name and class year:  Thomas J. Sharbaugh 1973.

 

I would be happy to provide you with more information regarding my background, but I am rushing to distribute this email before too many people miss or delete the email ballot messages that were sent last month.  I have been closely involved with Penn State for a long time.  I have been a member of the Advisory Board of the Schreyer Honors College for eight years and a member of the Advisory Committee of the Office of Annual Giving for the past year.  My wife and I started an alumni-financed microfinance loan fund for Penn State students that is now up and running through the Office of Student Aid with over $200,000 in contributions (seehttp://giveto.psu.edu/MicrofinanceMatch ).  I am currently promoting the sale of commemorative Hand-in-Hand tapestries designed by PSU Professor Lanny Sommese in order to raise more funds for the microfinance fund.



 Thanks for your help.

 

Tom