Brother Orrin Webb Concludes Time with IHQ. Ready and Better Prepared to Pursue His Dreams

After three and half years of serving on the International Headquarters staff, Brother Orrin S. Webb Jr. ‘11 of our MD Kappa Delta Chapter at Salisbury University has concluded his time with the IHQ to pursue his own business venture. At Salisbury, Orrin earned his B.S. in business economics, where upon graduation he joined the ranks of Pilam’s IHQ staff as part of the Expansion Team. During his time on staff, Orrin helped to found and refound ten chapters, including Rutgers University’s NJ Alpha Lambda and Indiana University’s IN Alpha Theta.

While serving as a staff member, Orrin said that he gained many positive experiences which helped him transition into his current role, founder of his consulting business Enmocean. He says of his time on staff, “I gained a load of positive experiences from my time with IHQ, however it was some of the challenging experiences that seemed to have added the most value in the long run. One challenging experience that taught me the necessity of emotional intelligence was in witnessing how easily people fell into in-groups/out-groups without taking the time to consider the emotional consequences of their action.” The previous realization helped Orrin develop a business model which would focus on developing emotional intelligence in personal and professional settings. From his time on IHQ staff, Orrin said that, “…I started my own coaching service, Enmocean, out of necessity for the long-term health of organizations and its central source, the health of individuals.” He credits his time on Pilam’s staff as a direct path to his successful transfer into the consulting world.

Serving on IHQ staff isn’t just about developing skills that will prepare a brother for success, it also provides memorable experiences that one will carry for a lifetime. Orrin says one of his best experiences was in working with Hofstra University undergraduates. He says of this, “At the initiation retreat, brothers experienced a host of team builders and activities that aided in their communicative development as a group. The missteps and mistakes activity is by far a favorite activity of mine because you get to witness these guys fail over and over again, but also succeed over and over again.” Orrin adds in detail, “What happened next made my heart smile: Brother Mike Amadio failed in the final three steps several times. Every brother had made it through and watched from the sidelines except for Graham Bellairs, the newly appointed President. Graham decided to stay behind intentionally to help Mike connect the steps and exit the maze. What Graham did, no one else had done. No one asked Graham to do this; he demonstrated the universal principle of sacrifice. It was a beautiful ego-less venture that inspired me to always take into consideration what sacrifices I will make to ensure that others can achieve their hopes and aspirations. I was proud having facilitated an experience where I could witness this act.” Of course, developing skills on staff—such as organizational development, public speaking, creative problem solving, resourcefulness, and sales—are important, but it is the memories a brother will form that will be most rewarding.

Rutgers University alumnus and former President, Paul Caravaglia, relates his experiences working with Orrin during NJ Alpha Lambda’s re-founding. “Orrin was always energetic and enthusiastic. There are, and always will be, pitfalls in trying to get a group of men to work cooperatively together. Orrin always seemed to get everyone on the same page and truly inspired us to work towards a common goal.” He says his favorite time with Orrin was one of the many conversations in the Rutgers’ dining area, “We would talk about crazy theories and ethical dilemmas. Orrin learned a lot from me about aeronautical engineering and complex physical theories and in turn I learned about my feelings and how to communicate emotionally, which helped me immensely during my time as Rex.”

Brother Orrin Webb ’11 celebrates with the re-Founding Fathers of the PA Delta Iota at Drexel University after their initiation in the Fall of 2015.

Brother Dan DeBard, IN Alpha Theta ’14, relates his most memorable time with Orrin was in practicing social fitness. “Probably my first really powerful memory with Orrin as an undergraduate was with him at an outing where he was practicing ‘social fitness.’ He pulled out his phone and showed me a color-coded written guide to entering ‘god-mode’—and then proceeded to achieve leveling up through this program by running around the establishment to try and get high fives from 15 strangers.” One time, while working at Purdue University, Dan says that he asked Orrin why he posted in a group chat that “BIG NEWS COMING TOMORROW” when there was no news forth coming, and Orrin replied that, “The secret to good retention is to make them always think about Pilam.” From fun times reaching “god mode” to establishing professional skills, Orrin was always presenting new and ingenious ways to achieve his goals and develop the brotherhood.

PA Delta Iota’s refounding at Drexel University in 2016 was also subject to Orrin’s wisdom and passion. Matt Koypt’16, says that, “Honestly, I can’t say enough about my experience working with and learning from Orrin.” He relates his time as the re-founding VP of Recruitment, “Orrin very much took me under his wing during the first couple terms of expansion.” On Orrin’s skills and abilities, “Orrin often talked about asking the right questions, something that is obviously instrumental in recruitment but something that is also very important when developing relationships with other people. This helped me make a more intentional effort to get to know potential new members, my brothers, and the other important people in my life.” Matt relates that Orrin has helped him develop both personally and professionally and has even experienced Orrin’s new venture with his business, Enmocean.

Ian Lowe ‘05, Executive Director, said the following about Orrin’s time on staff,
“Orrin was an all-star! The Fraternity benefited so much through his involvement on the professional staff as so much of what Orrin touched seemed to flourish. Whether it was the new chapters he launched, the current chapters he supported, the individual brothers he coached, or the way he enhanced the headquarters staff operations, Orrin left the organization notably better than he received it.

We need more Brothers like Orrin who are deeply committed to the values and are willing to give their time and talent to enhance the organization be it on our IHQ staff or as key volunteers. Thank you, Orrin, for your significant contribution to the betterment of Pi Lambda Phi and for modeling for others what it means to be a tremendous Brother!”

There are countless stories and memories recounting the skills and experience in working with, and being guided by, Orrin. After helping to expand Pilam and strengthen already existing chapters, Orrin exemplifies that there is unarguably great value in working as a member of IHQ staff. Any brothers looking to develop a legacy like Orrin has, and develop personal and professional skills, are encouraged to inquire about available positions as an IHQ staff member. We wish Orrin success in his new journey and know that because of the skills he gained on staff, and the network he built and maintained, that his future will be radiant and fruitful. Remember, Pilam is Not Four Years, But a Lifetime!

Written by: Jonathan Finnerty ’15, NJ Alpha Lambda