UArizona Order of Omega Greek Hall of Fame announces 3 alumni for the Class of 2024
As one of the Arizona Greek community's highest honors, the Order of Omega Greek Hall of Fame Award recognizes those fraternity and sorority alumni members whose exemplary life achievements have brought great honor and prestige.
Kent Rollins | Delta Chi
Kent Rollins completed his undergraduate degree at SUNY Oswego (formerly called SUNY College at Oswego). While a student, he was a member of Delta Kappa Kappa local fraternity. After Kent graduated in 1967, Delta Chi recognized the local chapter with a national charter. Following his service in the U.S. Army, Kent enrolled in the University of Arizona’s master’s program in educational administration (current degree program - master of education in educational leadership) and began working for the Dean of Students Office. In 1975, Kent became the first dean responsible for the university's fraternities, sororities, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council, Greek Judicial Council, Greek Week, and Greek Presidents' Club. Kent's previous ties to Delta Kappa Kappa and bonds of friendships created on campus led to his initiation into the Arizona Chapter of the Delta Chi Fraternity.
After nine years in the Dean of Students Office, Kent became president and CEO of the University of Arizona Alumni Association, where he served for nearly 20 years before retiring in 2001. That same year, Kent became the first president and CEO of University Medical Center Foundation, a not-for-profit subsidiary of University Medical Center Corporation providing hospital and clinic facilities for the university's colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Kent retired from UMC in 2013. Kent was elected president of the Council of Alumni Association Executives in 1996. The council, based in Washington, D.C., is committed to providing high-value professional development and personal leadership growth opportunities to chief alumni officers in a uniquely collegial manner for the benefit of member institutions and their alumni.
He served as co-chair of the university's Greek Life Centennial Celebration in 2015 and played a pivotal role in the construction of the Geraldo Rivera Greek Heritage Park, which showcases the university's Greek life system's history. Beyond the university, Kent made impactful contributions as an advisor to various Greek life organizations and at regional and national fraternity conferences.
Kent continues to give back, sponsoring scholarships and endowments, including the Amy Elizabeth Rollins Endowed Scholarship and the Kent D. Rollins Bobcat Endowment, exemplifying his lifelong commitment to education and fraternity brotherhood.
Heather Lenkin | Pi Beta Phi
Heather Lenkin was born in River Forest, Illinois, where she found early inspiration in the works of Frank Lloyd Wright that were the architectural hallmarks of the region. An honors student at the University of Arizona, she studied landscape architecture, architecture and interior design. In 1971, she became a member of the Arizona Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi. She furthered her education with studies abroad at the Grand Lycee d’Antibes in France and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and in the U.S. at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Southern California.
In recognition of her pursuit of excellence as an undergraduate, the University of Arizona named Heather its 2005 National Professional Achievement Award winner. The John and Doris Norton School of Human Ecology established the Heather Henricks Lenkin Honor Student Center that same year. The Pasadena Museum of History honored Heather's lifetime achievements in 2006.
Heather’s designs have been featured on international television, in numerous home and garden tours, at professional trade shows, in books, and in national publications, including Cottage Living, Fine Gardening, Great Gardens, Garden Design, Perfect Home, and Sunset Magazine. She is the first two-time recipient of Garden Design magazine’s Golden Trowel award, which honors America’s best gardens. Her own home gardens were selected by Japanese public television and Great Gardens magazine as one of the top 10 gardens in the United States. Cottage Living magazine selected Heather’s garden as one of the 10 most romantic gardens in the United States.
Heather is a former trustee of the World Monuments Fund, a trustee and member of the UA Foundation Board National Leadership Council, and emeritus chair of the advisory board for the University of Arizona's W.A. Franke Honors College. She is currently a member of the board of governors, also a former trustee, of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. Her professional memberships include the Garden Conservancy, the International Society of Arboriculture, the American Horticultural Society, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
In addition to her work with the University of Arizona Foundation, Lenkin has supported and advised the College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture, the Norton School and the Franke Honors College. She established a scholarship fund in honor of a former director of the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning. This endowment, the Ronald R. Stoltz, FASLA, FCELA Scholarship, supports students studying landscape architecture.
Joe Beers | Sigma Chi
Joe Beers received his bachelor's degree in business economics from the University of Arizona in 1983. During his undergraduate years, he served Sigma Chi as philanthropy chairman, social chairman and consul (president). He was selected by the chapter as the Outstanding Officer in 1983. On campus, he served as president of the College Republicans and co-chairman of the President’s Club.
He is the founder and owner of Integrity Outsource, LLC, a professional employer organization established in 2011. The firm specializes in administrating human resources, payroll, workers’ compensation, employee benefits, and risk management. Previously, Joe served as the executive vice president for Diversified Human Resources. He was part of an executive team that developed a dynamic sales process, leading to DHR's growth from a startup to a top market position in Arizona in less than three years, maintaining that position for 10 years.
Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Professional Employers. For over 15 years, he has served as the Arizona/New Mexico Leadership Council Chairman for NAPEO, successfully passing the only two professional employer organization bills in Arizona's history. He is a contributing author to PEO Insider Magazine and has published numerous articles on the professional employer organization industry and other business topics.
For 12 years, Joe served on the executive council of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix, holding numerous leadership positions and earning the title of Man of the Year in 1996. He was a member of Valley Leadership Class 30, coached little league baseball, served as Boy Scout Troop 6 assistant scout master, and is a member of the Phoenix Navy League. He also serves as president on the board of directors for the Executive Association of Greater Phoenix (EAGP), one of Arizona’s oldest professional business networks.
He has served in various officer positions for Sigma Chi International Fraternity for over 40 years, including the position of grand praetor (regional officer) for Arizona. He teaches accredited leadership classes for the Sigma Chi Leadership Institute, serving on its advisory board, and chaired the Grand Chapter Organizing Committee in 2019-21. Joe was inducted into the University of Arizona’s Sigma Chi Chapter’s Hall of Honor in 2004, and into the Order of Constantine – the highest distinction a Sigma Chi volunteer can earn – in 2019.
About the Order of Omega Greek Hall of Fame
The Order of Omega Greek Hall of Fame Award was established to recognize outstanding University of Arizona Alumni who have made a positive impact on the Greek community as well as the larger community and who continue to demonstrate the positive qualities of Greek leaders. This award recognizes University of Arizona Greek Alumni in the areas of service to their local and or national fraternity, to their local community, the University, the state, and the nation. Past inductees into the Order of Omega Greek Hall of Fame have included journalist and educator Edith Auslander, UArizona athletics pioneer Mary Roby, former UArizona Alumni Association President Marvin D. "Swede" Johnson, former Arizona State Sen. Doug Holsclaw, former U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater, Col. Jon Robson, p o lar e x p lo re r an d mo u n t a in e e r Alison Levine, "Sesame Street" co-creator Joan Ganz Cooney, former World Presidents' Organization Chairman Warren Rustand, former Arizona governor and U.S. Sen. Paul Fannin, former Arizona Secretary of State Betsey Bayless, TV journalist Geraldo Rivera, and sports commentator Alex Flanagan.