Kevin O’Neill is the inaugural receipient of the Kevin O’Neill Congressional Champion Award and was awarded the honor at the 2025 FSPAC 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner. Below are the remarks as written by Steve Blair, Vice President Fundraising.
With the approval and support of our President I am taking a moment of personal privilege and – much to the horror of our Executive Director – divert from the program in its entirety. No doubt my brother Kevin O’Neill is squirming now, but since I joined Lambda Chi Alpha about 3 years before Kevin did – I have seniority. It is my absolute honor—and slight comedic risk—to properly honor the one and only Kevin O’Neill and his 20 years of dedicated service to the FSPAC.
Twenty years. That’s two decades of dedication, hard work, and let’s be honest—a suspiciously consistent ability to keep his cool. I’ve known Kevin for every one of those 20 years, and about 17 more – I met him when he was a squirrely, aggressive and overly verbose 18 year old – not much has changed really! That aggressive, verbosity helped him charge ahead professionally and personally. It has been my pleasure to watch Kevin grow from a guy who couldn’t get a date – to marrying a woman about 20 levels above his ability.
Anyone who has worked with Kevin has witnessed his hard drive, ferocious tenacity and an unstoppable spirit to fight for what he believes in. But this past year we all witnessed a different side of Kevin, dare I say a softer side? as he lead his family though an unthinkably difficult year. I think Donna Cherek summed it
up best when she said, and I paraphrase, Kevin I’ve always thought you were kind of an ahole, until I watched you care for Patty and your family.
Now, before Kevin was the polished, successful lobbyist lawyer we know today, he had humble beginnings. You see, while most of us were just trying to survive college, Kevin was college—quite literally. As the Syracuse Orangeman mascot, he fearlessly donned a giant citrus suit and spent his days hyping up crowds. Now, if you’re wondering what kind of person can go from being an anthropomorphic fruit to a sharp-suited power player in DC… well, you’re looking at him.
But Kevin didn’t stop there. Oh no. His next move? Fraternity consultant. Because when you’ve mastered the art of commanding a stadium full of rowdy sports fans, naturally the next logical step is to take on fraternity houses—aka slightly smaller but significantly louder crowds fueled by questionable beverage choices.
And then, somehow, in a true Cinderella story arc, Kevin traded in the foam suit and the Greek life war stories for a law degree, eventually becoming a top-notch lobbyist. Which, if you think about it, is the perfect career evolution. Mascot, fraternity consultant, lobbyist—it’s all basically the same job: dealing with
unpredictable behavior, calming down overzealous people, and wearing a suit that makes you sweat profusely.
But all jokes aside, included in that timeline is the creation of the FSPAC, the only one of its kind that champions and supports a passion project we all share – Greek life. Kevin’s 20 years of leadership at the FSPAC have been nothing short of extraordinary. He has been the calm in the storm, the voice of reason, and the guy most likely to have a mysteriously perfect Excel spreadsheet open at all times. Seriously, have you ever caught Kevin off guard? It’s like trying to find a typo in one of his emails—if you can get through the whole missive.
His passion, integrity, and strategic mind have been instrumental in driving our success. Whether he’s advocating for the causes he believes in, mentoring colleagues, or somehow remaining the most unflappable person in any room, Kevin’s impact is undeniable.
His loyalty and hard work have helped shape the FSPAC into what it is today. His wisdom, steady presence, and humor have made him not just a colleague but a true friend to so many of us. Whether he’s offering guidance, cracking a well-timed joke, or somehow remaining unfazed by chaos, Kevin’s impact goes far beyond his job description.
So, Kevin, from your early days as a fruit-shaped warrior to your current status as a legal and lobbying powerhouse, you’ve proven that no challenge is too big—or too orange—for you to handle. We look forward to many more years, filled with more legislative wins, shorter emails, and maybe—just maybe—a surprise appearance from the Orange suit at a board meeting.
Earlier this year the FSPAC Board created an award to be bestowed annually at this dinner – the FSPAC Congressional Champion Award – to recognize leadership and unwavering dedication to championing the interfraternal movement and an individual who promotes the legislative priorities and values of the FSPAC. Last month the Executive Committee of the FSPAC voted unanimously to rename this award the Kevin O’Neill Congressional Champion Award and to have the inaugural recipient be its namesake. It is my honor to award the first-ever Kevin O’Neill Congressional Champion Award to our own Orangeman.
Kevin, On behalf of the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee:
The Kevin O’Neill Congressional Champion Award
is hereby presented to
Kevin O’Neill
In recognition of outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication to championing the interfraternal movement and promoting the legislative priorities and values of the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee. Your exceptional commitment to advancing the interests of the Greek community through your work in Congress and beyond reflects the spirit and vision of Kevin O’Neill, whose two-decade legacy of service and advocacy continues to inspire us all.
Awarded April 2, 2025 at the Annual FSPAC Congressional Dinner.
