Life member Rhen C. Bass, Sr, CPA currently serves as the Grand Keeper of  Exchequer of Kappa Alpha Psi® Fraternity, Inc., a position he has held since the 84th Grand Chapter Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, in 2019. Additionally, Brother Bass was bestowed the prestigious 83rd Elder Watson Diggs Award during the 78th Grand Chapter Meeting in Minneapolis, MN, in 2007. 

Brother Bass is a highly accomplished, results-driven, licensed Certified Public Accountant with more than 44 years of diverse and progressive experience in accounting and finance.  His business leadership experience covers start-up companies, the private and public sectors, and non-profit organizations.  

Initiated at the Eastern Michigan University Chapter, The Delta Nu of Kappa Alpha Psi® in 1974, Brother Bass holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting.  His career started at PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a “Big Four” International CPA firm,” in Detroit, Michigan.  His robust accounting and auditing experience there landed him valuable financial leadership opportunities throughout the United States. 

He currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer at the Corpus Christi Housing Authority and Affiliates, responsible for agency-wide finance and affordable housing development.  He provides vision, direction, and leadership to plan, implement, and manage processes of accounting, financial reporting, treasury, budgeting, strategic planning, audits, regulatory reporting, partnerships compliance, risk management, tax filings, asset management, and procurement. In addition, Brother Bass ensures monitoring and compliance with policies, procedures, laws, and regulations.  Likewise, he provides idea leadership as a primary advocate for internal control and initiator of early warnings regarding financial and operational integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness.  Also, his work includes collaboration with the board of directors, audit committees, executive management, and external auditors. 

Former positions held by Brother Bass includes CFO with the Dallas Housing Authority, Deputy Director of Finance with the DC Housing Authority, CFO with the Ventura (CA) Housing Authority, Vice President of Finance, & Chief Audit Executive with Zenith Insurance Company (CA), General Auditor with Employers Insurance Company of Nevada, Sr. Vice President & General Auditor with Texas Mutual Insurance, Director of Internal Audit with the Texas State Treasury, and Controller with APL International Shipping Company (CA & TN).  His industry expertise includes HUD/public and affordable housing, workers’ compensation insurance, transportation and distribution, state government treasury, and oil and gas.

Life member Bother Bass has membership with the San Antonio Alumni and Los Angeles Alumni Chapters. Additionally, he is a member of the National Kappa Foundation Board of Directors.  Previous fraternal leadership positions held by Brother Bass included Board of Director, Kappa League Director, and MTA Chairman with the Los Angeles Alumni Chapter.  Moreover, he served on the National Achievement Commission; Chairman of the National Chapter Advisors Training Cluster; Chairman of the Financial Review Advisory Team, and the Board of Directors with South Central Province, Southwestern Province, and Western Provinces.  His former alumni chapter memberships included Alexandria-Fairfax, Ventura Alumni, Sacramento Alumni, Austin Alumni, Germantown (TN) Alumni, and Pontiac (MI). 

Brother Bass also held the position of the Keeper of Records and Exchequer in South Central Province and the Keeper of Exchequer in Southwestern Province.  Furthermore, he was the Charter Polemarch of the Germantown (TN) Alumni Chapter, the second largest chartered alumni chapter in Kappa history in 1990.  Immediately after being chartered, the Germantown Alumni Chapter won the Large Chapter of the Year Award and Reclamation Award during the 70th Grand Chapter Meeting in 1991 under his leadership.

Known as an advocate for undergraduate members, Brother Bass served 26 years as chapter advisor at the following chapters: Pi Alpha Chapter, University of California at Santa Barbara; Xi Phi Chapter, the University of Nevada at Reno; Iota Delta Chapter, the University of Texas at Austin; and The Upsilon Chapter at the UCLA & California State University, Northridge.  His tenure and dedicated work as a chapter advisor are a testament to his passion for providing advice and brotherly guidance to undergraduate members throughout the fraternity. 

Brother Bass is an ordained deacon and serves on the Trustee Ministry at St. John Baptist Church in Corpus Christi.  He previously taught Sunday School for over 15 years to elementary to high school students.  Currently. He’s the Program Advisor for the Junior Leadership Mentoring Program for Public Housing under privileged teens.  Other volunteer work included the NAACP Saturday School, Los Angeles Reading Buddy Program Mentor, United Way Funds Allocation Committee, Board of Directors at the Boys and Girls Club, California State University Channel Islands Associated Students, Inc. Board of Directors, Treasurer and Board member for the Center for Battered Women, Treasurer, and Board member for the Austin Sickle Cell Anemia Association, School District Site Advisory Board; and high school athletic booster clubs treasurer and board member. 

Brother Bass is a native of Pontiac, Michigan, and is married to Silhouette Patricia J. Bass (AKA).  The couple has three children, including a Legacy Kappa Son, and resides in Corpus Christi, Texas.  He enjoys mentoring youth, listening to smooth/contemporary/fusion jazz music, watching action movies, and riding a bicycle.  Brother Bass is a trailblazer, fraternal servant leader, tireless worker, outstanding professional, and well-respected youth advocate.  He personifies one of his favorite quotations by Booker T. Washington: “Success always leaves footprints.