Bob Sasser, Gamma Rho/Florida State 1973 CEO, Dollar Tree
Cornerstone Visionary and Honorary Campaign Chairman, leads the campaign with an historic $250,000 gift.
Pam and Bob Sasser have taken an historic role in leading Theta Chi forward with the Cornerstone Capital Campaign. The Sassers recently made the largest cash gift in the history of the Foundation Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. The $250,000 gift will ensure the leadership training of our Chapter Presidents is first and foremost in our brotherhood.
Pam and Bob Sasser's generous gift sets the stage for advanced leadership training for future generations of Theta Chis. In honor of the Sassers’ leadership, Theta Chi Fraternity is excited to announce that Brother Sasser’s name will be added to Theta Chi Fraternity’s annual Chapter Presidents Conference.
The inaugural Sasser Presidents Conference will be hosted January 8-10, 2016 in Carmel, Indiana. The Sasser Presidents Conference will welcome the Chapter and Colony Presidents from across the United States and Canada. This event will provide important guidance and training and will instill critical leadership skills. The Sassers believe in the power of educating our young leaders and are excited for the future of our brotherhood.
Brother Sasser has served as Chief Executive Officer of Dollar Tree Inc., since 2004 after joining the company in 1999 as Chief Operating Officer. Sasser has been featured on the Forbes list of ‘Best Bosses in America’ managing more than 5000 stores and 87,000+ employees across North America. He recently completed an $8.5 billion merger with Family Dollar, making Dollar Tree a Fortune 200 company and one of the largest retailers in the world.
Brother Sasser earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Florida State University, where he joined the Gamma Rho Chapter of Theta Chi.
“It was the first time away from home,” Sasser said. “I had a friend who was a Theta Chi and he brought me over to the house. I liked the people there, I liked the brothers, and I liked the atmosphere. They were my friends and I was invited to pledge Theta Chi.”
While Sasser has a strong love for his Fraternity and his brothers, he said he was always most focused on furthering his education.
“I wasn’t particularly a leader [in the chapter],” he said. “I was there, number one, to get an education, and number two, I was growing up. My senior year I was Secretary, but mostly I was one of the brothers.”
Throughout the years, Sasser has always had a special place in hisheart for the Fraternity.
“It is a phenomenon and my wife comments on it every time we get together [with my brothers],” he said, “The group I was part of in that period of time, whenever we get together at a reunion—it is remarkable that I have not seen people in 40 years but it is as if we’ve never left. Pam is amazed by the bond I have with my fraternity brothers, it’s as if we’ve talked every day for the past 40 years.”
Sasser recalled one of his favorite memories from his years at Florida State: “We would go out serenading the sororities and one time one of our brothers had his own rock 'n' roll band. He pulled the band together in the middle of the week and loaded all the equipment on the back of a flatbed truck. Then he drove it over to sorority row, parked it in the median, set it up, and started playing.”
“All the sororities came out and it was an instant party,” he said. “It was all good clean fun until all the house mothers decided it was time for the ladies to come home as it was the middle of the week.”
The Sassers’ gift will support The Presidents Conference of Theta Chi, which has emerged as the pre-eminent leadership school of our Fraternity. The Presidents Conference educates our men on the ways to lead their chapters to success, making ethical decisions in today’s challenging college environment, and ensuring our men uphold their oaths and the ideals of Theta Chi.
“As I talk about leadership in Dollar Tree I really speak more about the values of our company,” Sasser said. “It’s easy to do the right thing when it’s easy to do. Doing the right thing for the right reason when it may not be popular is a key value. As we talk to our leaders here at Dollar Tree, or as we talk to our leaders at Theta Chi—young men who are leading their chapters—I think we should be talking about values. They make us who we are.”
He continued, “As we discuss leadership and our Presidents Conference—bringing our young men together to talk about what drives us, what defines us, what makes us who we are, the principles that we hold high, the Helping Hand—I don’t think I could support a better initiative, frankly.”
As Theta Chi Fraternity works toward 160 years of brotherhood, we need to adapt to the challenges of today. Leadership education is the key to our success. We cannot risk a Chapter President missing out on the experience of the Presidents Conference because he cannot afford it. The Cornerstone Campaign will ensure our men are not burdened with the costs to attend the conference.
“Pam and I are very happy to endow the Presidents Conference,” he said. “I think it can be and should be one of the most important things this Fraternity can do.”