Lawrence Sykoff, Ed.D., Head of School Emeritus of Ranney School and president of LSS Consulting Group, was inducted into Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity as a distinguished honorary member at its recent biennial international conference in Jacksonville, Florida.
According to the fraternity’s CEO Donald Aldrich, “We are grateful that Dr. Sykoff is now officially part of the TKE family! We are honored to induct Dr. Sykoff as an honorary and distinguished member of the Fraternity. He shares the values of Tau Kappa Epsilon and our dedication to advancing the mission of the Fraternity – to aid men in their mental, moral, and social development for life. Additionally, Dr. Sykoff brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning and fundraising which will only benefit the impact we are able to make on our membership. Since 2018, he has played a critical role in shepherding our current and future strategic plans. His ability to synthesize the priorities of our organization and frame them clearly was masterful throughout our long-term strategic planning process. Tau Kappa Epsilon is excited at the road ahead in achieving record membership and fundraising results due in no small part to the support of Dr. Sykoff.”
In addition to TKE, Sykoff has successfully guided the strategic planning efforts and fundraising campaigns for many nonprofit organizations in Red Bank and throughout Monmouth County. He has played a pivotal advisory role in helping organizations fundraise over $50 million for capital and endowment projects, including the Count Basie Center for the Arts, Lunch Break, Springpoint Senior Living and the Parker Family Health Center.
LSS Consulting Group provides a comprehensive set of governance services to nonprofit organizations, both locally and nationally. Pro bono services are offered to smaller community organizations with limited financial resources to support their respective missions.
Tau Kappa Epsilon is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, remaining steadfast in its primary mission to cultivate and nurture the finest qualities of character, leadership, and contribution. The fraternity provides support for numerous charities, most notably St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which was founded by Danny Thomas. In 2019, TKE increased its commitment to St. Jude with a pledge to raise $10 million over 10 years to help eradicate childhood cancers, one of the most significant philanthropic commitments of any fraternity. As of July 2024, TKE has raised almost two-thirds of its pledge toward this commitment. Sykoff is deeply committed to the St. Jude project, and he looks forward to assisting the fraternity’s development teams pursue this unprecedented goal.
Tau Kappa Epsilon has many notable alumni, including former U.S. President Ronald Reagan, Danny Thomas and Elvis Presley, along with many other well-known artists, athletes and musicians. Famous TKE alumni who continue their active involvement include NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw, NY Giants quarterback Phil Simms and country music singer Willie Nelson.
During this year’s induction ceremonies, Sykoff was offered distinguished honorary membership along with Blake Bortles, former quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As of 2024, the fraternity has 290 collegiate chapters throughout the United States and Canada, the largest among all national fraternities, with over 301,000 lifetime members.
The article originally appeared in the August 29 – September 4, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
