After 37 years of service to the University of Michigan Greek Community, Director of Greek Life Mary Beth Seiler will retire on June 30th. Mary Beth was hired in 1979 by Persephone’s Consilium, a group of Panhellenic alumnae who supported Greek Life’s viability throughout the late 60s and early 70s when Greek Life struggled to survive nationally. She describes the start of her position as “a very exciting time, full of so much potential.” As the community continued to grow, so did the need for Mary Beth’s expertise. In 1995, she became an official employee of the University of Michigan and shortly thereafter was appointed Director of Greek Life. Although Mary Beth never intended on making a career out of her work in Greek Life, here she is 37 years later, having treasured every moment. “I fell into something that I ended up loving,” she said, “and it was just pure luck.”
Mary Beth has seen a great deal of change throughout her time working with Greek Life at U of M. Since Greek Life’s recovery in the late 70s, Mary Beth has noticed a significant shift in the way that Greek organizations respond to change in the world and the ever-evolving needs of collegiate students. She believes that Greek organizations today are much more conscious of keeping Greek Life relevant and showcasing the many timeless needs that Greek Life addresses.
Mary Beth feels such pride in how far the community has come to get to this point and is very hopeful for the future of Greek Life past her presence here. She feels there are so many good things that are currently happening as well as significant improvements in problematic areas that she expects to see our community continuing to make positive contributions to our University and community. She stated confidently, “As long as we have enough staff, continue to have good student leaders, with quality programs to educate them, there’s no reason why Greek Life can’t continue for another 170 plus years, contributing in a positive way to the University.”
An endowment has been set up in Mary Beth's name for leadership development within the Greek Community. Click here for more information.
Although Mary Beth is sad to see her time here come to an end, she is also incredibly excited for her next chapter. In her retirement she is most looking forward to spending more time with her family and friends. She has truly been a treasure to this University and this Greek Community, in particular. We are so grateful for all she has done in her 37 years here and wish her the best in her retirement.