Destined to Join LXA, Gregg Thrived There with the Support of His Brothers
| Gregg with his daughter |
Gregg Reich ’89 was bound to join Lambda Chi Alpha when he started at Lehigh. In fact, he was familiar with the fraternity long before he pledged, thanks to his brother and uncle.
“My brother, Steve, was a LXA at Kutztown University and he used to bring me to the Hill for parties,” he recalls. “Then, my uncle, Harry Reich, a Lehigh graduate, brought me to the Lehigh/Lafayette game where we visited LXA again.”
During those visits, Gregg was impressed with the brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha, and joining the brotherhood was inevitable.
“The brothers were all very welcoming,” he says. “They were some of the smartest, most fun, and interesting people I had ever met. LXA was one of the reasons I chose Lehigh University.”
While pledging LXA, Gregg connected immediately with Rick Fuller ’89, as well as Malcolm McDonald ’87, who became his Big Brother. With genuine friendships and solid leadership paving his way, Gregg quickly embraced the Lambda Chi Alpha vision of extending itself beyond the traditional social fraternity in practice and principle. As a result, he became the recipient of the House’s Freshman Cup, an honor Gregg is still humbled by today.
He enjoyed the opportunities presented by Greek Life, despite how overwhelming they could be at times.
“Living in the LXA house was a whirlwind,” he says. “The Hill became the social mecca of the entire Lehigh Valley on the weekends in the 1980s, and LXA was on top of the mountain!”
With so many events and things happening, it was easy to forget that he was in school for a reason.
“In the house, Tuesdays were ‘artsy pub nights’ and Thursdays were I.F.C. cocktails,” he says. “Combine that with the demands of Lehigh coursework, and being away from home for the first time, and you had some intense times.”
But with some guidance and self-control, Gregg found a way to balance it all out.
Taking advice from Rick Fuller, Gregg sought out fellow brother, Dave Feng ’88, an academic partner who pushed him to excel in his studies.
“While on the Hill, LXA had a legendary social scene,” he says. “You had to commit to what you were doing, be focused, and work hard. Rick Fuller taught me to work smart. One of the best performances I had academically was a semester when Dave and I got into a routine of studying in the old Bethlehem Steel research building. It had big, empty research labs, it was quiet, and studying there was immensely productive.”
This type of support wasn’t unusual, though. In fact, a tradition of academic encouragement was thriving at Gamma-Psi Chapter.
“I found that I was prepared for anything academically,” Gregg recalls. “Mike Schneider ’87 and Karl Pupke ’87 were my mentors. I think Paul Troy ’87 is their mentor, which puts me in solid company.”
From those mentors, Gregg has learned a lot about succeeding in life and in his career.
Today, he stays busy between work and family. In fact, he just returned from a trip to Nicaragua to celebrate his 50th birthday with his wife, Shannon, and children Liam and McKenna. Currently, Gregg is an investment advisor and serves on the board of the Destanick Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting individuals in South Jersey with spinal cord injuries. He enjoys surfing with his son and is happy to be living so close to the ocean in Cape May County, New Jersey.
Gregg also remains positive about the future of Gamma-Psi Chapter and is committed to doing his part when it comes time for the fraternity to return to campus.
“I believe that most of the brothers from my era are fully supportive of the financial commitment it takes to strategically recolonize the house on campus in order to provide this experience for future students,” he says. “I hope to see the chapter become a fully active, engaged house that excels both socially and academically.”
Though the Chapter’s future is undetermined, Gregg exemplifies the strength of bond created by LXA.
“My brothers were and still are a big part of my life, including Rick Fuller, Mike Schneider, Karl Pupke, John Beltz ’86, Robert Eveleigh ’88, Mike Keough ’91, Brian Dorsey ’87, and Steve Vlasak ’89 to name a few,” he says. “I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed seeing many of them at the 150th Lehigh/Lafayette game in New York. I am honored and proud to be associated with these men.”