Meet Our Founder
Donovan J. Golich
Donovan is the founder of the Phoenix Advisory Group, where he provides comprehensive advising and consulting services to students, student organizations, and fraternity/sorority chapters and inter/national headquarters navigating complex accountability, compliance, and well-being matters. His work spans student and organizational misconduct, organizational governance, hazing prevention, crisis response, conflict resolution, and the design of educational interventions that strengthen campus and organizational culture.
Donovan has led and advised on high-impact investigations involving a variety of institutional policy violations, including hazing, physical harm, safety concerns, free-speech issues, organizational risk, and other student and organizational misconduct matters. He has managed cases requiring the interpretation and application of federal and state regulatory and statutory frameworks, including the Stop Campus Hazing Act (SCHA), Title IX, Title VI, FERPA, the Clery Act, and constitutional mandates. His investigative practice includes conducting and evaluating interviews, synthesizing sensitive evidence, preparing detailed findings, and guiding clients through administrative and board hearings, restorative resolution pathways, and appeals.
In addition to his investigative and accountability work, Donovan advises student leaders and fraternity/sorority inter/national headquarters on governance, conflict management, chapter culture, leadership transitions, and strategic risk mitigation. He facilitates educational workshops on accountability, well-being, restorative practices, and organizational leadership, and provides crisis management support during high-pressure critical events requiring a coordinated, swift response.
Donovan’s approach is grounded in advanced training in mediation, restorative conflict resolution, trauma-informed practice, and student development theory. He began his professional life as an educator, an experience that refined his ability to communicate with clarity, support individuals through moments of growth, and create environments where learning can take root. He now brings that same ethos to his consulting practice, blending legal insight with an educator’s instinct for guidance and a mediator’s commitment to fairness.
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Advising, Coaching & Conflict Management
Advised students and organizations through allegations involving academic misconduct, threats and acts of violence, hazing, and governance failures—often securing dismissed cases, reduced outcomes, or negotiated resolutions. Mediated leadership disputes, facilitated post-crisis conversations, and coached organizational officers through high-pressure decisions.
Investigations & Adjudication
Led 100+ investigations involving assaults, hazing schemes, discrimination, and major safety threats—conducting trauma-informed interviews, analyzing digital and physical evidence, and preparing reports for hearings. Served as both presenting party and hearing officer, questioning witnesses and issuing fair, policy-aligned outcomes.
Crisis Response & Critical Incidents
Directed campus-wide responses to major crises, including a sustained encampment requiring coordinated operations with executive officers and police. Managed a severe hazing incident involving hospitalization-level injuries, overseeing multiple investigations and working with prosecutors, chapters, and national partners on accountability and cultural reform.
Fraternity/Sorority Consulting & Strategy
Provided national accountability support for a large fraternity, responding to chapter crises, coordinating investigations, and partnering with 50+ institutions on compliance and culture repair. Led membership reviews and chapter retreats addressing values misalignment and implementing safer operating practices.
Behavioral Intervention & Threat Assessment
Served on teams managing high-risk student cases involving suicidal ideation, severe mental health crises, violent threats, and concerning behavioral patterns—coordinating safety plans, interim measures, medical withdrawals, and multidisciplinary follow-up.
Systems Design & Policy Development
Built institutional accountability systems, including due process-aligned investigation models, hazing reporting protocols compliant with state and federal law, and streamlined case management workflows. Drafted and revised policies on student conduct, organizational behavior, risk mitigation, and crisis response.
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Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA)
Association for Student Conduct Administration (ASCA)
The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association
Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity
Chapter Advisor - Michigan State University Chapter (2018-2021; 2025-Present)
National Membership Review Committee (2025-2027)
Fraternity Laws Committee (2021-2022)
National Staff Member (2020-2022)
Fraternity - Accountability/Risk Management (2021-2022)
Financial & Housing Corporation (2020-2022)
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Michigan State University College of Law | J.D. (2026)
University of Southern California | M.A. in Teaching (2016)
The Ohio State University | B.A. in Political Science (2015)
Contact Us
Whether you’re navigating a situation as a student or leading an organization through a challenge, having clear guidance can bring needed focus. If you want straightforward, reliable support, we’re here for you.