Beechwood Educational Foundation – Donor Profile
Brother Akers arrived in Bloomington and at Zeta Chapter in the fall of 1993 from his hometown in Wilton, CT. During his time at Beechwood, he played intramural flag football, volleyball, soccer and softball, and also served on the cabinet as Corresponding Secretary. “Fender” also served in several leadership roles on campus as President of the Student Recreational Sports Association (SRSA) and as a member of the Dean of Students Advisory Council.
Jeff graduated from IU with a degree in Finance, and shortly after beginning his professional career as an investment banker in Nashville, TN, he married his IU sweetheart Julie (Alpha Chi Omega). He and Julie are proud parents of three daughters, and their oldest daughter has followed in her parents’ footsteps and is currently an IU student (and member of Kappa Alpha Theta) in Bloomington.
After moving to the Chicago area Brother Akers earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern and has worked at Adams Street Partners, a global private equity manager, for over 15 years. His current position is Partner and Head of Secondary Investments, and he serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. He enjoys golf, and occasionally hits the links in Hinsdale with Brothers Howard “Zach” Bergdoll (Zeta, 1984) and Doug “Chumley” Elmore (Zeta, 1984). Brother Akers also is connected personally and professionally with other Zeta FIJI graduate brothers living in the metro Chicago area.
Reflecting on his days at Beechwood, in addition to the brotherhood and unity that was established immediately within his pledge class and that continues to this day, one of Fender’s most indelible memories was supporting the 1995 Little 500 championship bike team and meeting Lance Armstrong when he stopped by the Chapter house at 631 East Third Street. When asked what compelled him to contribute to the Beechwood Educational Foundation in 2022 to help support the establishment of a videoconferencing system, Jeff commented “I saw it as an opportunity to give back, as Zeta was a big part of my college experience, shaped my character, and I am still connected to many Zeta FIJIs today. I am also proud of the fact that there are several Brothers currently in the house that hail from Hinsdale!”
Brothers can look to connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.
