Name: Joe DiRenzo
Graduation Year: 2006
Bond Number: 1422
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Current Residence: Dallas, Texas
Year Elected to Board: 2012
Executive Position on Board: President
Do you remember the first time you visited Penn State?
Yes! I remember it well. I was 12 or 13 years old and my football coach piled a bunch of us aspiring Nittany Lion players in an old red minivan and drove from Pittsburgh to University Park for the Blue & White spring game. This would be the closest any of us would ever make it to the PSU football field and it did not disappoint.
As we made a left off of Atherton Street onto campus, we passed the Lion Shrine for the first of what would be countless times for me personally; then, we made our way down Burrowes where I saw a bunch of young men competing in various Olympic games in front of a fraternity house, which I later learned was Phi Delt! We continued our journey to Beaver Stadium and made our way to the field to meet players before the game.
I didn’t have to wait in many lines for autographs, as I approached Justin Kurpeikis, an underclassman linebacker from my area (and future team captain and Superbowl champion) who had a team shirt draped over his shoulder. Just like the famous Mean Joe Greene Coca Cola commercial of yesteryear, he tossed me the jersey, which he had signed by the entire team and Joe Paterno. I’ll never forget my first time at Penn State!
Why Did You Pledge PA Theta?
I was recruited by Phil Donegan ’05, the fraternity president at the time, my future roommate (we shared the Penthouse), and lifelong friend. Donegan introduced three of my high school classmates from Pittsburgh Central Catholic, and me, to a group of fun and successful brothers. The more we learned about Phi Delta Theta—its history and mission—the more we all wanted to be a part of it. It was too late to pledge the Spring 2003 class, yet the four of us had made up our minds. We didn’t want to wait until fall 2004 to pledge, so Donegan and the brothers got creative and we became “Sprall” 2003 pledge class in between the two!
Why Did You Love the Experience?
This is fairly simple … It was a true brotherhood, where even today, many of my closest friendships first began at Phi Delta Theta.
What is Your Favorite Memory?
There were more fun nights than I can count. I’m just as fond of the storytelling that would occur around the breakfast table the next morning. A favorite experience that stands out has to be our two-time, fraternity-wide championship dodgeball team! Most teams played their top eight athletes; however, the Phi Delt team was built strategically by identifying diverse skill sets required of a back-to-back championship team!
What is Your Vision for the Future?
My vision for the future includes the continued cultivation of friendship amongst the alumni and the perpetuation of tradition by mentoring and supporting future alumni, including annual events and much more, where we gather and celebrate at Penn State and in our communities.
