Dante Simi (58-F) served as Consul at Epsilon Eta the spring 1962 semester. He later graduated and left Fresno, but because of his superior leadership, he was a “legend” in the active chapter for several years. Dante had several successful careers including one in real estate in Fresno, but his most successful was his creation of the Learn4Life. Learn4Life is a “chain” of alternative charter schools that specialize in teaching high school dropouts the necessary skills to obtain their high school degrees. There are schools in California from San Diego to Sacramento, and in South Carolina and Texas.
Through the years Dante chose many Sigma Chi alumni to serve on the company’s board of directors. Because of his fabulous success with Learn4Life, it is the largest charter school organization in California, he has been recognized as an outstanding leader in alternative education in California and the United States. This success also has also earned him the honor of being named Significant Sig in 2017. Dante is now retired and is living in Henderson, Nevada.
Dante Simi
A few years ago Dante set up an endowment at Fresno State to fund scholarships. Those eligible for those scholarships are graduates of Learn4Life and Sigma Chi undergraduate members. Each year one or more Sigs are awarded scholarships, and last year three brothers, Nolan Long (20-S) and Christian Reta (18-F), both Smittcamp Scholars, each received a $1,500 scholarship, and Luke Karagozian (20-S) received $3,000 from the Simi Endowment for the 2020/2021 school year. All three Simi recipients are 4.0 students.
Well, here we are in 2021 and Epsilon Eta has two Dante Simi legacies who are brothers in the Active Chapter, grandsons Tyler Hansen (17-F) and his brother Travis Hansen (20-S). Both brothers are superior athletes, Tyler is a business management major who has excelled in baseball while Travis is a communications major who has excelled in both football and baseball. Travis received $2,300 from the Dante Simi endowment for the 2021/2022 school year.
We have another undergraduate brother who is a legacy. Logan Mann (20-F) is the son of brother Sam Mann (91-S). Logan is an Agricultural Business major and wants to become a produce broker. He achieved a 3.84 GPA last semester while pledging, and will live in the Chapter House next year receiving a $2,000 scholarship from our Fresno Sigma Chi Endowment.
Sam and Logan Mann
Sam served on the board of directors of the Sigma Chi Alumni Chapter of Fresno for many years in the 1990s and 2000s. Since 2005 he has served as the Warden for the Harry Saint John Dixon Memorial, Fresno’s only Sigma Chi “monument.” Sam works for the Fresno Department of Public Works and Planning with the title of Senior Staff Analyst.
Epsilon Eta has the opportunity to have two more “potentials” become brothers. The grandson of Tim Vaux (66-F), Bennett Frost (Ben), has been accepted to Fresno State as a freshman this Fall. His dad was an ΣAE at USC, but according to Tim his dad is not pushing him that way, but he does believe fraternity life would be good for him. Ben is 6’5” and plays high school water polo at Sanger High.
Ben Frost
Tim was honored as a Significant Sig in 2017 for his work in the agribusiness industry. He worked 27 years with DuPont in various management positions in the crop protection business in the U.S. and Canada. Tim is now retired and lives in Fresno.
Tim Vaux
Past Consul Norm Bishop (77-F) says he also has a “potential.” His son, Ryan, is considering rushing Sigma Chi next year. Currently Ryan is a freshman kinesiology major at Fresno State with a 4.0 GPA. He was also a Smittcamp alternate with a 4.3 GPA at University High School. According to Norm, Ryan wanted to get his first year under his belt before considering Sigma Chi. He also likes athletics of all sorts and is a coach at the Little Gym.
Norm and Ryan Bishop
Norm is working in Fresno and his official title is Commercial Real Estate Portfolio Manager for a long-time Fresno family trust with 30 commercial properties in the Fresno-Clovis area. The properties include retail, office, industrial and raw land. He manages a small office and maintenance team and makes sure the money keeps coming in. He calls it a dream job since all the properties are free and clear. As Norm puts it, “No banks calling!”
Hopefully both Ben Frost and Ryan Bishop enthusiastically participate in the recruitment process, encourage lots of the friends to do the same and pledge our great chapter just as their fathers and grandfathers did.