UP NorCal GP-Elect: A Quintessential Betan

by Willie Vergara

[Photos by Willie Vergara]

BROD GERRY ABENES ‘UPD 66 (Batch Name “Spirit of 66”) was proclaimed winner after garnering an overwhelming majority of votes for the post of Grand Princep of UP Northern California Chapter. Results of the elections came out on July 24, 2010 and celebrations of his victory was held on July 26, 2010, at the home of Pogs and May Gaspay.

This affair was likewise a celebration of the Fraternity’s 64th Anniversary. Special guests were Brods Ago Romero ’68 of UP Southern California and his ka-batch Judge Rey of the MidWest Chapter, accompanied by their respective spouses Eva and Mely.
 

Not known as one who wastes his time on frivolities, GP-Elect Gerry immediately came out with “Talking Points” lining up his suggested new set of officers, Chair and Members of certain committees and special events, and some of his agenda of his tenure. In this particular message, he specified the continuity and administration of two of the Chapter's current major projects that he himself developed and administered, and which defined much of the 2010 tenure of his predecessor, specifically, (a) A Rationalized Project-Approval System, and (b) Rainy Day Funds for the Chapter. He also spelled out his priorities, namely: (a) Constitution and Bylaws, wherein he advised Nong Fred and Tatang to submit their CBL proposal “sooner than later… thereby breaking a logjam of not having a framework to work with...”, and (b) a Fund-Raising campaign.

Scholar. Brod Gerry, DVM, Master of Veterinary Science, and PhD, the last 2 of which he earned as a scholar of the Ministry of Education of Japan, is a perfect fit for our frat name -- the Brotherhood of Scholars.

Student Leader. He served as Councilor of the College of Veterinary Medicine in 1973. He was also President of the Veterinary Student Body Organization in 1972.

Fraternity Service as a Young Man. During his years as a student, he was First Vice Grand Princep in 1972, assisting then GP Claro Sta. Maria. As a young professional teaching in the UP Los Banos, he was the fraternity’s Faculty Adviser (1972) and was President of the Council of Elders of UPLB Beta Sigma Fraternity (1973).

A Strong Comeback. Brod Gerry immigrated to the United States in the early 90s but remained relatively silent as he spent most of his life building his career where he now works as Senior Scientist, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, at UC Berkeley School of Public Health; and attending to his two children (now adults) and beloved wife Lleva, who is herself a UPLB graduate in B.S. Animal Science and a M.S. in Genetics.

He became active again in the fraternity in July 2007 and, as the old phrase goes, Gerry “came back with a vengeance”. In a very positive way, of course.
 

He is currently the Auditor and a Board Director of UP Beta Sigma-International, Inc., a former editor of the monthly UPBSFI publication “Environmental Awareness”and, until his election as Grand Princep, was UP NorCal’s Master of the Rolls. Prior to this, he was given an Outstanding Beta Sigman Award (2009) for his numerous accomplishments.

His home, located in a posh area in Richmond, CA has become UP NorCal’s “headquarters”, thus earning the monicker “Gerry’s Grill”. This house could also be called, “Lleva’s Music Center” as this is the venue upon which “A Band of Brothers” started and grew to what it is today. And Gerry is the Band’s drummer.

On the part of this quiet and gentle spirit that is Lleva, she has also given herself in the service of the frat in many ways--- as a patient and generous hostess of many meetings and gatherings held at her home, as an instructor of Ikenobo (a branch of Ikebana art she learned during their 6 years stay in Japan), and as a budding bartender concocting those exotic drinks for brods and their spouses/partners. She now works as the Research Operations Manager of Mendel Biotechnology.

 

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