In his role as the senior associate vice president for government and community relations, Kittinger has been a constant and trusted presence in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s work across Central Florida.

He has faithfully represented the university with a spirit of collaboration, generosity, and care that has strengthened relationships and opened doors for years, leading to some of the university’s most impactful, long-lasting, and strategic partnerships.

On April 22, Kittinger will conclude his tenure at his beloved alma mater after nearly 23 years of service.

“Fred Kittinger has approached his work with authenticity, optimism and a sincere joy that brings people together and builds the connections that propel our success,â€� says Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ President Alexander N. Cartwright. “He has left a lasting impression with everyone he has worked with and leaves an enduring legacy at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.â€�

Joining Knight Nation

An Orlando native, Kittinger remembers the main campus being built in the 1960s. He enrolled at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 1977, known then as Florida Technological University.

He was intent on staying one year to save enough money to eventually transfer to another, more established university in northern Florida. He abandoned the plan in mere weeks, falling in love with the school that he would later spend so much of his career serving.

“We always had that chip-on-our-shoulder attitude, even back then. I like that part of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,â€� Kittinger says. “We were the little engine that could. We knew we were going someplace. We knew we were important.â€�

He served on orientation team and President’s Leadership Council, joined Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, witnessed Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s first home football game in 1979 and stockpiled memories he now relays with a smile before graduating with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

After completing his master’s degree at Florida State, he went on to work as a legislative aide in the Florida Senate and as vice president with the then Orlando Chamber of Commerce. He later served as chief of staff for City of Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood.

In 2003, he was approached by the late Senior Vice President Emeritus Dan Holsenbeck and Board of Trustee charter member Patrick Christensen to gauge his interest in a position at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ working with local governments.

Now nearly 23 years later, he’s ready for his next adventure.

Advocating for his Alma Mater

When you’re anywhere as long as Kittinger has been at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, you’re bound to pick up a few keepsakes. Precious items that once adorned his office walls and bookshelves will now have a new place in his home.

A metal pipe from the Reflecting Pond’s old plumbing before it was refurbished in 2018.

A Florida Tech Boulevard street sign, which may or may not have been procured in an unofficial capacity in 1978 under the guise of darkness by some of his fraternity brothers.

But his most treasured mementos are the relationships he carries with him — from the university to the community to government offices across the state.

“My greatest fortune is the number of folks I’ve had a chance to work with and develop long-term friendships with.� — Fred Kittinger

“It takes that trio to make an impact — you’ve got to have private industry, you’ve got to have government, and you have to have the non-profit independent sector all working together,� he says. “My greatest fortune is the number of folks I’ve had a chance to work with and develop long-term friendships with. I’ve been very blessed.�

He says his proudest moments are wrapped up in some of the university’s biggest milestones, all made possible through partnerships: approval for the College of Medicine; the creation of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA);  the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Downtown campus; the growth of the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Business Incubation Program that spans all Central Florida counties; and working on the team that secured $90 million in Tourist Development Tax revenues from the Orange County Board of Commissioners to invest in Acrisure Bounce House.

“His ability to build trust and make people feel valued has left a lasting impression on colleagues, partners and communities across our region,â€� says Janet Owen, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ vice president for government and community relations and associate general counsel.

More Than a Job

In addition to his role as an administrator, Kittinger played an active part in students’ lives for many years.

Alongside Holsenbeck and former government relations team member Alison Schultz, Kittinger helped form and guide the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Legislative Scholars Program, a premier, immersive, full-time experience during state legislative sessions. From the classroom to the Capitol, students gain firsthand exposure to the legislative process by working directly with legislative staff and professional lobbyists in Tallahassee, Florida. Since the program’s inception in 2005, more than 320 students have participated.

Kittinger served as a longtime adjunct instructor in the , which is part of the College of Community Innovation and Education (CCIE).

Alongside his wife of 43 years, they established the Fred and Sandra Kittinger Scholarship Fund in 2020. This scholarship supports graduate students in public administration, assisting with tuition, textbooks, fees and any other items included in the cost of education.

“What has always set Fred apart is not just what he has done, but how he has done it,� Owen says. “He brings a genuine positivity and a welcoming presence to every interaction, approaching his work with kindness, thoughtfulness and a sincere interest in others. On a personal level, I am especially grateful for Fred’s friendship and counsel over the years. He will be deeply missed.�

Nearly 4,000 students who make up the 47 social Greek-lettered organizations on campus raised $1,065,391 from August 2016 to May 2017. Money raised went to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Feeding Children Everywhere, Military Heroes Campaign, Huntsman Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross and many more.

“Philanthropy comes naturally to the Greek organizations,â€� said Josh Bologna, a senior studying industrial engineering who was Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Greek Council president in 2016-17. “If you wear letters, you’re held at a high standard and that’s created a culture of giving that continues to grow.â€�

The community in the previous year raised nearly $821,000, and Bologna credits the jump in giving to greater collaboration among the fraternities and sororities. They were strategic scheduling fundraising events so the chapters would not compete with each other.

“It’s hard for the rest of the community to support a cause with their time and money when two or more big events would happen right next to each other,� he said.

That’s why the Greek Council worked to increase communication and collaboration among the chapters. Instead of two organizations hosting competing events to benefit the same cause, they would join forces to host a larger event, combine their manpower to find more sponsors, and ultimately garner more attention and donations.

Fundraisers included partial-proceeds nights at local restaurants, lip-synch competitions between the chapters to raise awareness and money for breast cancer, all-you-can-eat pancake breakfasts with profits going to St. Jude’s Hospital, and many more. Greek community members often let their creativity shine when planning fundraiser events, Bologna said.

Also in the 2016-17 academic year, chapter members collectively volunteered 86,795 hours to local and national organizations such as Relay for Life, Boys and Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, Shepherd’s Hope, Clean the World and others.

“Our fraternity and sorority members certainly live out the values of the organizations they contribute to,â€� said Woody Joseph, director of Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Fraternity and Sorority Life. “It’s exciting to see that they’re so passionate about contributing towards local and national causes, whether it’s through raising funds or getting their hands dirty with volunteer projects.â€�

Joseph anticipates the amount raised will continue to grow.

“I was surprised this year because $1 million has never been reached before, but at the same time, I know how our students are when they’re determined to achieve something,� he said. “I think they’ll make it their goal to reach $1 million again.�

That’s extra impressive since the program, called Green Dot, was first introduced to the campus community in September. Since then, more than 4,500 students and faculty and staff members have been exposed to Green Dot.

“Green Dot is a bystander intervention program to help reduce power-based personal violence, which includes stalking, sexual assault, domestic violence and dating violence,â€� said Green Dot Strategy Coordinator Sam Vega, a first-generation college student who earned a master’s degree in Higher Education and Policy Studies from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in 2016.

“The premise is that small actions lead to one big impact,� she said.

Green Dot training includes becoming familiar with the “three Ds� – direct, delegate, and distract.

“Direct is going into the situation and saying, ‘Hey, that’s not cool what you’re doing, just stop,’â€� explained Vega. “Delegate would be calling Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½PD or calling someone that’s in the area – a bouncer, a bartender – anybody who can step in. Distract speaks for itself.â€�

Nearly 300 colleges and universities across the country have implemented the program, including six in Florida.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is on top of the leaderboard for the 2016-2017 school year, with more than 25 students, faculty, and staff members fully trained in the program. This allows them to give the speeches that train others and keep Green Dot growing.

Campus areas such as Fraternity and Sorority Life are among those embracing Green Dot. For example, four Greek organizations now require that every member be trained.

Vega says that Green Dot helps to make “doing the right thing� more accessible.

“A lot of time we have bystanders who just don’t know what to do because they are emotionally shocked by what’s going on,� Vega said. “What we try to do is ensure them that they can work through those barriers and actually intervene in a realistic way that’s also comfortable for them.�

The new Green Dot office will officially open its doors to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday, March 23.

Green Dot Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ is located in the John T. Washington Center Breezeway across from the book store, and it will be open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The 12 chapters were represented and networked with other chapters over dinner and dessert. The Panhellenic Council GPA has been above all women’s average GPA for 34 semesters and continues to strive for that success in the upcoming semesters.

The scholarship winners for $250 for a new member who were active in the community were, Julie Luo – Delta Zeta and Kimberly Hall – Chi Omega. Alpha Epsilon Phi won the Most Unique Study Incentive.

Erin Kelly from Delta Zeta won the Spotlight a Sister award. This award is given to a chosen sister highlighted from the chapter’s academic chair for her academic endeavors and leadership involvement.

Other awards included:

“I really enjoyed coming together as a Panhellenic community and learning what other chapters do to help better their academics,� said Jess Stern, vice president of programming for Alpha Epsilon Phi. “My chapter and I were honored to win the Most Unique Study Incentive as we worked really hard to get good grades in fun and different ways.�

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Universities are tasked with educating students and addressing sexual violence on their respective campuses. Fraternity and Sorority Life along with the Greek Council took the lead in hosting national speaker Angela Rose who presented “Shattering the Silence of Sexual Assault.” Over 700 students attended the program that took place on January 21 in the Student Union Pegasus Ballroom.

Rose was abducted at knife point outside a suburban Chicago shopping mall when she was 17 years old. She was assaulted by a repeat sex-offender on parole for murder and was eventually released by her attacker. The anguish of her abduction was immediately magnified by anger and a strong sense of injustice at her treatment by authorities. She founded the organization, “PAVE: Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment,� to create education and action surrounding the issues of sexual violence and founded “Men Opposing Sexual Assault,� a student group that highlights the importance of men in the anti-sexual assault movement. Angela’s efforts have been profiled by CNN, The Today Show, and TIME Magazine to name a few.

“Angela is passionate about the topic of sexual assault,� stated Olivia Escalona, coordinator for Risk Prevention. “Her energy during her presentation was contagious. It was amazing to hear her story and learn the impact it made on her life. This impact has led to an even bigger change in our discussion and awareness of sexual assault.�

Krystal Vielman, Greek Council President, commented, “I felt like it was important to really clarify the differences between assault, violence, and rape because it puts a term with the action committed. It was great to hear someone telling their story because at that moment, you become more connected to the topic and start to feel more responsible in the risk reduction process. After hearing her speak, I now use her story as a reminder that it really can happen to anyone and anywhere and that being cautious is key.�

It is hoped that this program not only brings awareness and conversation, but calls on students to be active in addressing and the prevention of sexual assaults.

The 2014 recipients include 13 LEAD Scholars, 10 students from The Burnett Honors College, eight from the President’s Leadership Council, six Student Government Association leaders, two Greek students and one student-athlete.

Undergraduate students are chosen for Order of Pegasus each year based on their outstanding achievement in the areas of academic achievement, university involvement, leadership and community service. Graduate students are selected based on the same merits as well as publication or research experiences.

The winners will be honored at a ceremony this spring.

The names and a picture of the inductees will be added to the wall showcasing past and present Order of Pegasus recipients in the Pegasus Lounge located on the second floor of the Student Union. Inductees also receive commemorative medals, scholarships from the Student Government Association and lifetime memberships to the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Alumni Association.

This year’s recipients are:

Undergraduate students

Linh Anh Cat, College of Sciences and Office of Undergraduate Studies

Amy Crawford, College of Sciences and College of Arts & Humanities

Shekinah Fashaw, Office of Undergraduate Studies

Cynthia Florentino, College of Sciences

Jessica Gottsleben, College of Sciences and Nicholson School of Communication

Kaye-Alese Green, College of Sciences

Catherine Gutierrez, College of Medicine, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences

LaShaunda Hayes, College of Sciences

Amelia Klug, College of Health and Public Affairs

Charlene Kormondy, Office of Undergraduate Studies

Amelia Mackarey, College of Medicine and College of Arts & Humanities

Julien Meyer, Rosen College of Hospitality Management

Rana Riad, College of Engineering and Computer Science

Nicholas Simons, College of Business and College of Sciences

Vu Tran, College of Sciences

Alexis Wansac, College of Sciences and College of Arts & Humanities

Graduate students

Tracy Becker, College of Sciences, Ph.D. candidate

Avianne Bunnel, College of Medicine, candidate for Doctor of Medicine

Courtney Buzan, College of Education and Human Performance, MA student

Stacey Hardin, College of Education and Human Performance, Ph.D. candidate

Pack to Attack Hunger – a partnership involving the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Student Government Association, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Alumni, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Fraternity and Sorority Life, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Athletics and Feeding Children Everywhere – will be held at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Venue. The partners in this event have a lofty goal: more than one million meals for children in the Central Florida region.

The food insecurity rate in Florida is 19.2 percent and rising. By participating in Pack to Attack Hunger, the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community will be helping those affected by the hunger epidemic in their area. The hand-packaged meals put together during the Pack to Attack Hunger event will be distributed to public schools’ crisis food pantries.

“Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Athletics is proud to be part of Pack to Attack Hunger,â€� Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury said. “This is another great opportunity for our student-athletes and our staff to get involved and make a difference in our community.â€�

“The Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Student Government Association is excited to be part of this initiative, because it is a great opportunity to see our Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community work together toward helping out those who are in need,â€� Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ SGA Athletics and Traditions Coordinator Blake Warfield said. “I am looking forward to giving a helping hand at accomplishing our goal.â€�

“Our fraternity and sorority members are so excited to see Pack to Attack Hunger grow immensely within just one year,â€� said Panhellenic Vice President of Community Involvement Katie Clinger, a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. “We are looking forward to bringing the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community together all for the same great cause.â€�

Volunteers for the event will work in four one-hour shifts, in an assembly-line setup to systematically pack meals for children who are food insecure.

More than 3,000 volunteers will be needed to make the Pack to Attack Hunger event a success. Each volunteer is being asked to raise $25 toward the project. Volunteer sign-up and donation forms can be found at .

With more than 90 chapters across the United States, the Zeta Beta Tau national organization each year selects one chapter as its most outstanding for best representing the tenets of intellectual awareness, social responsibility, integrity and brotherly love.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Delta Iota chapter, founded in 2005, has more than 90 members and has made an impact in Orlando through community service. The chapter raised $11,500 for the Children’s Miracle Network through philanthropic work during the past year.

“The Delta Iota chapter takes community service very seriously, which is why we take hospital tours of the Arnold and Winnie Palmer children hospitals in downtown Orlando various times each semester and really try to work with the children benefited by the Children’s Miracle Network,â€� said Daniel Balva, the chapter’s president.

“Not only are we able to see firsthand where the money we raise throughout the year goes to, but doing so motivates our members to continue working hard to provide for these families and children in need of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ assistance.â€�

Members of the fraternity also have traveled to Guatemala for a medical mission and raised $3,000 to support Misioneros Del Camino, an orphanage in the poverty-stricken city of Sumpango.

The fraternity this year raised $1,000 during Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. Delta Iota also partners with the Seminole County Public Works Department to organize road cleanups to help the environment and better the community.

To learn more about Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s chapter of Zeta Beta Tau, visit zbtucf.com.