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Dr. Robert G. Travnicek recognized for service

Recognizing Brother (Dr.) Robert G. Travnicek, Kansas ‘59, for his "legendary service and dedication to public health" in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Mississippi State Medical Association recently presented Brother Travnicek with its Physician Award for Community Service. His extensive study and practice of both medicine and public health helped him not only survive but lead public health emergency preparedness and response to Hurricane Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This recognition honors both active practice of medicine and community service above-and-beyond the call of duty.

Katrina slammed into Hancock County, Mississippi, early on a hot August morning in 2005, the worst natural disaster ever to strike the United States. The killer storm came as the costliest hurricane of the season and one of the five deadliest in U.S. history. Among recorded hurricanes, she’s the sixth strongest to have emerged from the Atlantic.

Katrina aimed directly at the six counties Travnicek oversees as director of the Coastal Plains Public Health District, a post he’s held since 1990. According to disaster response plans, he went early to the Harrison County Emergency Operations Center; he all but lived there for the next 60 days.

The fellow physician who proposed the award called the recognition overdue in light of Katrina but apt for "a long and illustrious medical career which has spanned nearly five decades. He is a man of highest character and deserves recognition of this prestigious award."

In crediting others, Travnicek personified the strengths of his public health career: team-building and cheerleading.

Accepting the award, he said, "This gives me a chance for the first time to publicly recognize at least three of the hundreds with whom I was teamed." He lauded George Schloegel, then president of Hancock Bank and now Mayor of the City of Gulfport, Gary Marchand, CEO of Gulfport Memorial Hospital, and "finally and particularly, my long-suffering wife who as a staff nurse was in a lockdown situation at Garden Park Hospital during the storm and for two days after."

Brother Travnicek’s selfless acts not only call to mind Acacia’s motto of Human Service, but also the words of our Preamble which remind us "to take a more active part and to have a greater influence in the affairs of the community in which we reside."

We salute Brother Travnicek for exemplifying what it means to be an Acacian.

Colorado Chapter forges ahead with groundbreaking new housing model

With an eye towards the future, the Colorado Chapter has broken ground on an ambitious new chapter housing project that keenly reflects current trends in collegiate housing. Nearly two years ago, alumni serving on the chapter’s housing corporation board envisioned a new model of fraternity living that will see the active chapter move from its 72-year old chapter house into a completely new apartment-style complex augmented by a state-of-the-art fraternity space.

After conducting an exhaustive diligence process, the housing corporation board elected to work with experienced Boulder developers Michael Boyers & Brinkman Construction to develop the new complex. Consisting of two large residential buildings designed for modern student living, the facility is designed to be larger in scope than Acacia alone will occupy. Our brothers are granted rights of first refusal for all units, providing the chapter with as much space as necessary as the chapter grows. Through a joint venture, the entire complex is still under full ownership by the housing corporation board, and is operated under the terms of a "ground lease." The Plaza on Broadway is the first fraternity redevelopment in Boulder in over fifteen years.

The main chapter building includes 3,100 sq ft devoted to the exclusive use of Acacia brothers, including exceptional study facilities and social space. The impeccable space is designed to accommodate prominent guest speakers, hold educational seminars, and provide members with a supportive space for their academic pursuits. A large kitchen and dining area will provide members and guests with a central hub for dining and conversation, while the basement affords the chapter a place to watch sports, movies, and hold social functions. Additionally, the chapter has allocated space for a live-in residential advisor.

Adjacent residential units are commonly composed of four bedrooms and four baths, reflecting a "suite-style" living arrangement that colleges and universities are adopting nationwide. Each unit is afforded breathtaking views of the Flatiron mountains with a substantial balcony, a communal living room, and a kitchen outfitted with modern appliances.

To make way for the new facility, demolition of the old Acacia house at 955 Broadway took place on May 14, 2012, while alumni and actives witnessed the dramatic scene. The wrecking crew made short work of the art-deco style building that Acacians called home since 1940, and in a matter of only three hours, the facility was a pile of bricks and broken timber. With the site cleared and prepped, the official groundbreaking ceremony took place on June 14, and new construction followed suit at a fast and furious pace. The development is on track for an August 2013 opening, just in time for the fall semester at the University of Colorado.

The Colorado Chapter was re-chartered and named Best Young Chapter at the 56th Biennial Conclave in August 2010. The chapter was also awarded for Best Alumni Programming/Advisory at the 57th Biennial Conclave in 2012, in no small part due to the leadership of the housing corporation board during this redevelopment initiative.

This groundbreaking new housing project simultaneously reflects the Colorado Chapter’s progress since its 2008 re-founding and represesnts a great challenge and responsibility for its sustained success. For more information, visit the Colorado Chapter website at http://acaciacolorado.org and the alumni website at http://colacacia.org.