Bob Klausner – Educational Foundation Trustee invested in Pilam’s future

Bob Klausner (University of Florida ’74) calls fraternity a “great life experience” and credits much of his personal growth and success to Pi Lambda Phi. He wants to see those ideals and experiences continue to influence new generations of Pilam brothers. 

Bob said Pilam helped to “make a big campus small pretty quick. You talk to people every day and grow your social circles. It brings you out of your shell, so you’re not sitting in in your room dealing with teen angst.”

That’s why he volunteers as an Educational Foundation Trustee. Bob said, “I got a lot out of Pilam so I don’t mind giving back. I started volunteering later in life. Now I’m one of the ‘older guys.’”

What does a Trustee do?

Trustees focus on fundraising and serve as a board of directors for the Educational Foundation, providing informed advice on the potential future of the fraternity and funding allocations. The Educational Foundation advances the educational mission and goals of Pi Lambda Phi that align with the ideals and traditions of the Fraternity. 

His Pilam experience

Bob was a Pilam legacy and said, “fraternity appealed to me at a big school.” He had a cousin and an older brother who were both Pilam brothers prior to him. Though the chapter had over 200 brothers, he recalls the house as “surprisingly intimate. There was a diverse makeup that got more so when I was there. It was a really smart group of people.”

“The house had the highest GPA on campus,” he said, adding that the war in Vietnam was a big motivator to keep your grades up (or you might get drafted). 

Bob lived in the house and they all ate meals together. They had a house chef and a houseboy. He said, “If the food was good we’d all applaud. If it wasn’t we’d have a food fight.”

Bob gained valuable professional experience at Pilam. He became involved in student politics and was elected IFC President. He learned a lot about running a business through his duties buying food, oil, and supplies through a co-op. He also met alumni and saw the benefits of networking with brothers.

Giving (and asking) by example

Bob believes in “giving money to do good” and is dedicated to ensuring the financial stability of Pi Lambda Phi. A big part of that is fundraising. He said, “pretty successful people can afford to give something back.”

He has always been a generous donor to the Pi Lambda Phi Educational Foundation, and approaches fundraising with a ‘lead by example’ approach saying, “It’s better to ask for money when you’ve given first.” 

What about Bob?

Bob is the principal in the law firm Klausner Kaufman Jensen & Levinson. He has assisted in the drafting of many state and local laws on public employee retirement throughout the United States. He is a frequent speaker on pension education programs and has also published numerous articles on fiduciary obligations of public employee pension trustees. 

Bob lives in Cooper City, Florida with his wife of 48 years, Kathy (who was an A E Phi sister). They have four daughters, four sons-in law, and seven grandchildren.