Jay Freedman ’90

Jay Freedman was actually planning on going to Tulane prior to his campus visit to U of A.
“I was Pre-Med and knew I wanted to go somewhere warm where I could try and play my way onto a Golf team. I loved the campus and the climate, U of A had a great cancer research center and the fact that it was 10k per year less than Tulane helped get my Mom and Dad on board.”

Jay went through rush and spent time at Gamma-Rho at the urging of his older brother, Kappa Sigma at Carnegie Melon. Good call. “Meeting folks during rush named Satan, Box, Spidey, Stumper, Lou, Juggles, Bundy, Beaker and Scruffy all but solidified my feelings about the Fraternity not being for me,” he jokes. Kidding aside, “in Gamma-Rho, I found a different environment, where diverse individuals achieved a common goal by maintaining their individuality…no sacrificing it and where a new brother could get involved and make a difference.”

Initiated in 1990, Brother Freedman went on to serve as the Rush Chairman, Philanthropy Chairman and President of the chapter. Freedman’s term as Grand Master saw him win Kappa Sigma’s GM of the Year award. He was also President and founder of University of Arizona French Club. He graduated Cum Laude from the University of Arizona with a Major in French and a Minor in Economics.

Brother Freedman is currently the Director of Wealth Management for USAA in the Houston market. Prior to USAA, Jay was a Senior Vice President with Wells Fargo Advisors. During his 16 years career at Wells Fargo Advisors, Jay served as a Financial Advisor and in various leadership roles, his last leading and supporting an office of 23 Financial Advisors in their Private Client Group in Houston.

Jay joined USAA seeking more mission and purpose in his work and was inspired by USAA’s mission to serve the military and their families. He holds the CFP®, CIMA®, and CRC® certifications. He is also a Registered Corporate Coach ™, a certification he received from the Worldwide Association of Business Coaches.

Jay and his wife of 13 years, Jennifer, have a 11 year old daughter named Madeline and a 8 year old son named Aaron. The former Philanthropy Chair continues volunteer his time, helping United Way, USAA Pen Pals, and the Houston Area Food Bank. In his spare time, Jay loves to coach his son’s soccer team, golf, cook, and spend time with his family.

“Having come from a small town in Connecticut, Kappa Sigma provided me a connection to a smaller community at a very large University. Gamma-Rho provided me lessons in leading and following that I could have never received in a classroom. I learned about the importance of relating and flexing to brothers of varying ages, styles and backgrounds. Lastly, I learned the meaning of true friendship and brotherhood. Jay concludes, “I am grateful and proud of my Kappa Sigma membership and service and to this day include on my resume and welcome the opportunity to share with others the importance of my fraternal experience.”