Introducing Our Alumni Engagement Commissioner: Chris Aitken, Minnesota State ’04
A New Chapter for Alumni Engagement
We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Chris Aitken, Minnesota State ’04, as the first-ever Alumni Engagement Commissioner for Phi Delta Theta. As with the creation of other high-level volunteer roles, this position will make an immediate and significant impact—both within General Headquarters and, most importantly, on the alumni we serve.
About the Role
As alumni engagement becomes more engrained in General Headquarters practices and the Phi Delt 2030 strategic plan, this role will play a pivotal role in supporting the senior director of alumni engagement with the development, coordination, and execution of alumni programs, initiatives, and activities.
The commissioner will serve as an adviser, collaborator, and advocate for the Fraternity’s alumni community, ensuring ongoing connection and engagement between alumni and the Fraternity at large. The position offers an opportunity to actively shape the future of Phi Delta Theta’s alumni relations and contribute to strengthening the bond between alumni and current members as outlined in Phi Delt 2030.
Meet the Commissioner
Chris was initiated at Minnesota Beta in 1999 and graduated in 2004, later earning his MBA from the University of Minnesota–Rochester in 2016. As an undergraduate, he served as scholarship chair, alumni chair, and chapter president, and attended both Leadership College (now known as the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute) and the Presidents Leadership Conference.
As an alumnus, Chris has been a cornerstone of the Minnesota Beta alumni club serving as the general contact for GHQ, house corporation president, a Day of Giving captain, and chapter advisory board Chairman. He has attended General Conventions and General Officer Conferences, and organizes between five and ten alumni events per year. He became an Iron Phi in March 2025 and is a loyal Phi Delta Theta Foundation donor.
At the local level, Chris has been an active alumni volunteer for many years. He has served as President of the Alpha Beta Mu Foundation, his chapter’s local housing corporation, and as Chapter Advisory Board Chairman. He celebrated his Silver Legion recognition for twenty-five years of membership at Phi Delta Theta’s General Convention in 2025.
Throughout his volunteer career, Chris has helped plan and facilitate numerous alumni and chapter events, including Founder’s Day celebrations, homecoming tailgates, undergraduate and alumni recruitment events, memorial golf outings, alumni events at Target Field, and annual alumni fishing trips. He has also helped secure donations to establish a scholarship endowment at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and obtained funding from the Walter B. Palmer Foundation to support life‑safety improvements at the Minnesota Beta chapter house.
Professionally, Chris is a Purchasing Manager at Hearth & Home Technologies, where he leads supplier relationships and sourcing initiatives focused on cost optimization, risk mitigation, and continuous improvement. He is a results‑driven operations leader with more than 20 years of experience in lean manufacturing and supply chain optimization.
Chris lives in Oronoco, Minnesota, with his wife Casey, a fellow MSU, Mankato alumna and member of Gamma Phi Beta. Outside of work and fraternity service, he enjoys cheering on his children—Ella, Alyssa, and Levi—at their soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, and track and field events.
