Casey, now Capital City Pageants CEO, started researching the Miss America Organization in 2011. Like many, he had preconceived notions of the pageant world and was shocked to realize the amount of service completed by titleholders and the number of scholarships available to young women who compete. “A light bulb went off in my head. I brought it to my fraternity brothers and told them, here’s an opportunity to do something different for philanthropy.” At the time, there was no preliminary competition available just for FSU students, so Chi Phi created one—and in its first year sold more than a thousand tickets to the black-tie, red-carpet production. “It turned into one of the largest local preliminaries in the state of Florida,” Casey said. “I have to be honest: I’d never been to a pageant until I hosted that one. I had no idea what to expect.”
Because of the local’s popularity, Casey and his right-hand men, Chief Operating Officer Ryan Ellison and Chief Financial Officer Ryan Todd, decided to broaden their reach. They launched a second pageant, the Miss Capital City Scholarship Pageant, open to everyone in Tallahassee. With its creation also came nonprofit status, but not without a lot of work. Casey’s nine-member board comprises other Chi Phi fraternity members—FSU students majoring in public relations, accounting, marketing, and production who get hands-on experience in their chosen professions by working with the local pageant.
In just two years, Casey and his fraternity brothers created something they hope will live on past their involvement. Although Casey graduated this spring with a sports management major and media studies and hospitality minor, the CEO is handing over the reins and taking on the role of observer. In creating local pageant organizations, he’s come to appreciate all that the Miss America Organization represents for furthering women’s education and emphasizing community service. And with this solid foundation, he’s confident the organization has a bright future. “It can get bigger and better, and I think that starts with talent,” Casey said.
Read the full article in the June issue of fourpoints magazine!