Joe Nascimento – Rolling up his sleeves for a promising Pilam future
In his second year as the President of the International Executive Council (IEC), Joe Nascimento ’06 (University of Florida), has done much to advance Pi Lambda Phi and is enthusiastic about the growth and longevity of our Fraternity.
Joe’s biggest hope is for more alumni engagement and volunteerism. Joe said, “We need to do more as an organization to provide opportunities for our alumni to continue their fraternal experience, and truly exemplify ‘Not Four Years, But a Lifetime.’”
“There is a huge need for advisors and mentors on a national level. I volunteered, and now I have a ‘second chapter’ of new friends and colleagues. It gave me a whole new perspective on Pi Lambda Phi as an organization.”
Expanding the role of the IEC
The role of Pilam leadership has evolved over the years. Undergraduates are receiving much more proactive support through staff coaching, recruitment support, alumni mentoring, and leadership training.
Joe believes that, “Our role on the council is to work with IHQ and the Foundation to ensure that Pilam can expand, thrive, and continue to exist on any campus in the long term.”
“We also try to ensure that chapters live up to our standards. And sometimes we have to make difficult decisions to protect the fraternity as a whole.”
“There’s a lot more we want to accomplish”
During his tenure, Joe is proudest of the coordinated efforts of the IEC, IHQ, and the Educational Foundation. Collectively, they are setting a new blueprint for PiLam.
Support model for chapters
They built a comprehensive plan that guided the Fraternity through the unchartered world of a pandemic which ensured our survival and established new standards for IHQ and chapter collaboration.
Expansion
Joe is particularly pleased with support for expansion efforts at targeted colleges like Lehigh, where IHQ, alumni, and university collaboration have produced great results.
Communications and networking
By upgrading the quality and frequency of alumni communications and events, Pilam hopes to reconnect alumni with their chapters and facilitate opportunities to meet and network.
Financial support
The fraternity has also adopted a more flexible contribution process that has generated more support for educational programs that directly support our chapters.
Moving forward, his goals are allocating resources (training, recruitment, advisory support) for chapters that need help. And he is committed to facilitating open communications and engagement opportunities with the other 90% of our brotherhood, our alumni.
Pilam was an “opportunity”
As a freshman at a big school, Joe said, “I was a first generation college student, I think I knew four people on campus. One of the things that attracted me to Pilam was that they had just refounded at the University of Floridaand there was a tremendous opportunity to be a part of a group that was just starting up.”
Pilam had a mix of guys with differing interests and backgrounds. Joe said, “the diversity was truly attractive to me.” He became Rex as a sophomore and learned practical business lessons, like running a leadership team and marketing for new members.
Rolling up his sleeves
Joe credits much of his growth to Jeff Buhler ’93, who served as the UF chapter advisor when Joe was Rex. He said it was a big influence on his desire to give back to Pilam, “It helped me understand the importance of having someone with experience steering us in the right direction.”
Before becoming IEC President, Joe served as the UF Alumni Association President, Chapter Advisor, and President of the Florida Delta House Corporation.
He said, “initially I had an affinity for helping my chapter as most brothers do, but I wanted to make sure all of our members have a good experience and I saw the opportunity to shape policy. I like to roll my sleeves up and get things done.”
He makes time for Pilam
Joe is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and a criminal defense attorney at Ross Amsel Raben Nascimento, PLLC focusing on high-stakes federal and state criminal matters.
He said that defending the Florida Delta chapter as Chapter Advisor allowed him to hone in on his defense attorney skills. He believes that people shouldn’t be judged by one bad decision or one bad moment andwas, “used to begging for forgiveness, or mitigating the impact of a mistake.”
Even with career and family — he has three kids and a “very understanding and supportive wife” — Joe finds time for Pi Lambda Phi.
You can make an impact. Volunteer.
If you’d like to volunteer as a local or national mentor or advisor, please contact us.