National President 2012-2014 Convention Report President 2012-2014 Convention Report ... as well as represented Theta Phi Alpha at the May 2013 ... has been and I have been so blessed

National President

2012-2014 Convention Report

By the Numbers:

Participated in 24 TPAF Conference Calls, 14 BOT Conference Calls, 12 GC Conference Calls and 9 GC Meetings

45,755 Miles traveled, attended 4 Chapter Installations/Reinstatements, 1 Association Installation, 2 Extension

Presentations, 1 exploratory visit and 22 pop-ins. Published 11 NP25 News and Notes.

NPC:

Worked closely with the NPC delegation on multiple issues over the biennium. Carried out the duties of

document reviews. Communicated with appropriate I/NP from member groups as needed. Attended NPC

annual meetings in 2013 and 2014 as well as represented Theta Phi Alpha at the May 2013 BOD meeting.

National Constitution and Bylaws:

Worked with Pat Seashore, NC&B Chairman, to move the Colony, Chapter and Association Bylaw submission to

an online process. She has a shared document tracking the submissions to better communicate status updates

with staff and volunteers.

Board of Trustees:

Worked closely with the BOT on various projects. Coordinated a joint BOT/GC meeting held January 2014.

Theta Phi Alpha Foundation:

Represented the Fraternity serving on the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation board.

Board Development:

“Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Buckingham and Clifton, sent to all GC and NO staff. Facilitated Strength

Finder at LC 2013. Monthly GC board development piece with additional pieces in the monthly NP News and

Notes for all National Officers. Board Development also done during transition in 2012 with additional planned

for 2014. Board Assessment done July 2012, July 13 and June 2014 to measure progress and identify needs.

Provided education for GC members on Governance Model Leadership over the biennium.

Contracts:

Signed the new Billhighway contract locking in favorable rate for 6 years. Contract with Herff-Jones for 3 years

locking in favorable gold rate and moving signature to the “off” year vs convention year. Discovered that past

Affinity contract with vendors supplying paddles have been signed, worked to remove these.

Over 100 Affinity contracts signed, 8 staffing contracts signed, over 15 event contracts

Vision, Strategic Plan Update:

Updated 2007 Strategic Plan and posted for membership. November 2013 updated to Action Plan, Mission

Statement and Vision Statement.

Executive Director Search:

Established the ED Search Committee Chaired by Erin Nemenoff, Kappa, and NPC Delegate. Members include

Pat Giallanza, Upsilon, PNP#19 and Deb Vargo, Sigma.

National Philanthropy:

Established a Committee to evaluate and make recommendations for revitalizing our National philanthropy

message. This committee is chaired by Susan Paddock, Kappa, and PNP #18, and committee members Cat

Sohor, Beta Xi, Katie Jackson, Gamma Nu and Leslie Trahant, Alpha Beta, Theta Phi Alpha Foundation Director.

Respectfully submitted,

Laura Foley

National President 2012-2014

[email protected]

National Vice President-Collegians


What an amazing biennium it has been and I have been so blessed to have the opportunity to have worked with

so many wonderful volunteers and incredible collegians! We have continued to improve overall communication

between our chapter administration team and our collegians, which has resulted in a stronger chapters and

more engaged volunteers.

A review of our Consultant program and some research on other NPC groups, led to some changes for Theta Phi

Alpha. We were able to offer more focused visits for our chapters in order to assist them in a particular area

that they felt they needed more assistance or more information on. Our Leadership Consultants began their

travels with a variety of resources at their disposal to facilitate meaningful and thoughtful sessions and

conversations with our chapters and leadership. In consultation with the chapter administration team we

offered focused visits starting in the fall of 2013 and found that our chapters were more responsive and better

served with this new initiative. We have continued to expand this program and will be offering financial and

Ritual focused visits for this upcoming academic year.

We made some alterations to the chapter administration team throughout this biennium. We found that the

role of the Advisory Board Liaison wasn’t being utilized as originally planned and ended up dissolving the

position. In order to continue to best serve our chapters, we have added another Conference Administrator and

three additional Conference Directors to our team. As we have continued to grow we want to continue to

support and challenge our chapters to bring our sisterhood to the next level. Each Conference Director has the

responsibility to clearly communicate with our programming team as we review and approve all individual

chapter programs submitted. This has allowed us to have a more intentional conversation with our chapters on

what works on their campuses while following all written Theta Phi Alpha programs.

We launched our pilot Officer Leadership Training in January 2014 with the assistance of the Theta Phi Alpha

Foundation. We hosted our weekend of training in New Jersey with 60 collegians present from 15 chapters in

the Tri-State area. Our Presidents, Vice President, Treasurers and New Member Educators were trained as

individual groups by a dedicated group of volunteers and reviewed all Fraternity responsibilities for each

position. As a large group leadership, communication and accountability were reviewed so that a new approach

of engaging our membership would be initiated within our chapters.

Theta Phi Alpha is currently 57 chapters strong, with almost 3,000 collegians. Thirty-six chapters are at or above

total. Forty-three chapters report a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and Theta Phi Alpha’s fall 2013 (the latest

available) cumulative GPA was 3.154. I look forward to our chapters’ continued growth and success.

This biennium I have been honored to work with a very dynamic, creative, loyal, and loveable group of

Leadership Consultants: Margaret Barnett, Kim Gaiennie, Jennifer Missel, Nikki Conroy-Murphy, Melissa Zolla,

Sarah Friedman, Tracy Sexton and Liz D’Orsa. These women helped me develop a new way to look at our

Consultant program and helped to put our plans into place in order to enhance and challenge our collegians’

experience.

Our chapter administration team has gone above and beyond the call of duty time and time again throughout

this biennium. Our chapters are stronger, better - with the support and guidance you have offered them. Thank

you all for your dedication to the Fraternity.

My life has truly been enhanced by the opportunity to serve the Fraternity as a member of Grand Council this

biennium. I am incredibly grateful to the women who have mentored, challenged, and supported me as we

have worked to strengthen our beloved Fraternity.

Yours in the Bonds of Sisterhood,

Amanda Horvat

National Vice President-Collegians

[email protected]

National Vice President-Alumnae


This biennium, growth has been the apparent theme throughout the Fraternity, and in the Alumnae Area it is

certainly no different. The alumnae team has continued their focus on not only achieving goals set forth in the

strategic plan but also covering the three major distinct factions of alumnae membership in the Fraternity:

Alumnae Associations & Clubs, National Officers & Volunteers, and Alumnae Membership (Management &

Enrichment). Below is a recap of some of the highlights developed within each of these factions throughout the

biennium.

DEPARTMENT OF ALUMNAE ASSOCIATIONS & CLUBS: At the close of the 2010-2012 biennium, Theta Phi Alpha

had 26 alumnae associations and 4 alumnae clubs. This biennium’s goal to establish 3 new alumnae associations

was far surpassed with the establishment of twice as many and increasing our alumnae groups by 23%. Please

welcome Atlanta Area, Appalachian, Lincoln Area, Nation’s Capital Area, South Bend Area, and Greater Tampa

Area (previously the Tampa Bay Alumnae Club). A new alumnae club, Western Michigan, was also established

this biennium. At the time of this writing, an additional two petitions for alumnae association establishment

have been received for Greater Dayton (Ohio) and Southwestern Connecticut. The Grand Council has continued

to support installations of alumnae associations after their establishment, which has been extremely well

received by the newly established associations. The installation program has been a development in progress,

with great help from Alumnae Connections Committee member (and Chapter Installation Specialist), Samantha

Wyant, to provide a more full experience. Overall alumnae participation in associations has also grown 21%

over the biennium, helping engage more alumnae on a local level. To better serve the associations, all reporting

was converted to an online format - this was certainly a change from previously years, but proved extremely

successful by increasing on-time report submission from 24% last biennium to 63% this biennium; overall

submission of association reports increased as well, from 43% to 78%! The reported information by alumnae

associations has been useful in identifying associations’ opportunities and strengths - information which has also

been useful in developing the Alumnae Association Operations Manual, a resource guide to be piloted at the

start of next biennium.

DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL OFFICERS & VOLUNTEERS: This biennium, over 200 women have been serving as

elected or appointed national officers. Theta Phi Alpha has recently increased its recognition of these hard

working alumnae to also include at least 100 volunteers who volunteer on chapter advisory boards and serve as

Theta Phi Alpha representatives in local alumnae Panhellenic associations. Theta Phi Alpha continues to

celebrate National Volunteer Week each year sharing our appreciation and recognition for those officers and

volunteers who not only spend countless hours serving the Fraternity, but also who go above and beyond in

their own community. Because of the success of the Employer Letter Program last biennium, the program was

continued this biennium to show further appreciation to those volunteers and officers wishing a letter of thanks

to be sent to their employer. To help our officers continue to grow as role models of Theta Phi Alpha, the

Officer Training Development Committee, headed by Megan Cavazzini at the beginning of the biennium, and

continued by Antoinette Cummins, has developed the basic training our officers need with the help of several

key members of the programming team. The National Officer general resource guide will be unveiled during

Convention to cover basic Fraternity expectations of a national officer as well as basic skills an officer might

need.

DEPARTMENT OF MEMBERSHIP MANAGEMENT & ENRICHMENT: Theta Phi Alpha eNews continued this

biennium, issuing over 35 editions electronically to all members (collegians and alumnae) with a valid email

address registered in the Fraternity’s database/website. All issues continue to be archived on the website and

cover topics from collegiate recruitment, Fraternity extension and expansion, membership opportunities, and

other important announcements such as annual alumnae dues appeals. This biennium’s alumnae dues appeal

engaged more alumnae than the past 3 bienniums and the 2013-2014 Fiscal Year (which is still yet to be

completed) has so far engaged more alumnae than the past 7 years, with over 550 alumnae participating, of

which over 540 are alumnae in good standing. The Alumnae Dues Appeal Raffles continued for both years. The

2013-2014 Fiscal Year also tried out a new appeal method, by mailing out personalized Theta Phi Alpha address

labels to all Theta Phi Alphas as a way to incentivize donors. A corresponding increase of donors and donations

of those initiated in all decades was shown except in those initiated between 2000-2009. Thank you to all sisters

who continue to make the Alumnae Dues program such a success! The Alumnae Connections Committee took a

new approach in engaging and connecting alumnae across the globe; Heather Robison led the successful project

Operation:Penguin Pride by connecting alumnae and collegians to those alumnae serving in the U.S. Armed

Forces here in the U.S. and overseas. The project supported our Theta Phi Alpha sisters by sending letters of

support and care packages over the holidays. Our alumnae membership continues to grow, especially in regards

to alumnae initiates. Last biennium, 42 women were initiated as alumnae members of Theta Phi Alpha. This

biennium’s goal to initiate 30 women into alumnae membership was surpassed by a total of 55 women having

been initiated - a 31% increase from the previous year! At the time of this report writing, an additional 15

women have been permitted to be initiated (initiation date pending) and 13 women are currently going through

the education progress.

---

I have felt truly blessed to have been able to work closely with so many wonderful Theta Phi Alphas who have

shown creativity, compassion, and confidence in what our organization can achieve. From the volunteers and

national officers I have worked with who have inspired me with their devotion to our Fraternity, to alumnae

associations and clubs who have engaged members on a local level, there have been countless sisters who have

helped the Fraternity fulfill Her mission. I am grateful to have been a part of what has been achieved so far, and

excited for the things to come from the ground work that has been laid.


Jennifer Klug

National Vice President-Alumnae

[email protected]

National Vice President-Extension


This biennium saw the continued development of the Extension and Colony Teams. The Extension Team

oversees the process of establishing new chapters from the moment we receive an extension lead on a campus

to a colony being installed as a chapter. The Colony Team guides the colonies through the colonization process.

This includes the Director of Colonies, Colony Coordinators, Installation and Financial Specialists. The team has

been busy giving extension presentations, conducting colonization weekends and overseeing chapter

installations. The 2012-2014 biennium resulted in eight new chapters (Gamma Psi, Gamma Omega, Delta Alpha,

Delta Beta, Delta Gamma, Delta Delta, Delta Epsilon and Delta Zeta), as well as the reinstatement of two

chapters (Alpha Delta and Alpha Gamma)

The Colony team led by the Director of Colonies has added new resources such as a new colonization weekend

script and presentation, additions and edits to Colony Member Manual and Colony to Chapter Guide, an

updated installation checklist, pearl tracker, and updated Colony pearl documents. The colony team is

extremely thankful for the support of the Leadership Consultants, Colony Advisors, National Office Staff and all

others who volunteered their time and talents to supporting and welcoming these women into our sisterhood.


Michelle LaPlatney

[email protected]

National Vice President-Programming


Wow! What a biennium it has been! There has been a tremendous amount of action in the Theta Phi Alpha

Programming area this biennium. We continue to try to reach more sisters with educational programming as

well as a constant push to update our existing educational publications to better serve our membership. Here

are some of the great things that have been happening in Programming…

In the beginning of the biennium we embarked upon our first ever State Day program. State Day was held in 8

regional locations in November of 2012. Our focus was Chapter standards, Officer Transitions, and Fundraising.

This full day event focused on educational programming pretty exclusively. This past February 2014 we again

held “Theta Phi Days,”•formerly known as State Days. Our focus was Standards of Achievement and Theta Phi

Alpha Policies. In addition to educational programming, we expanded the day to include a variety of sisterhood

activities. We also added 3 new areas. We will continue our tradition of Theta Phi Days this year with 12 areas.

With helpful feedback, we will continue to enhance this special event. This year we will be looking to include

the entire chapter in this day of sisterhood bonding and learning.

Leadership Conference 2013 “Oh the Leaders We Will Be”

LC 2013 was an extreme success! We focused primarily on recruitment. PhiredUp spent two days with us giving

us tools and strategies to take back to empower our chapters to become the best recruiters they could be. From

Fall 2012 to Fall 2013 Theta Phi Alpha saw a 15% increase in new members and from Spring 2013 to spring 2014

there was a 4% increase in new members joining our organization.

Amongst other areas that were focused on at LC13, we were also able to learn about “Motivating the

Middle”•from TJ Sullivan of Campuspeak. We forged a new relationship with Cleveland State University for our

accommodations. We are looking forward to LC 2015 at CSU where we will change things up a bit. We will be

bringing the program IMPACT in for our sisters.

In the last year, we have been gearing up for our awesome celebration that is National Convention! We have

planned a wide variety of educational programming. We will have a major focus on Risk Management and New

Member Education. However, there will be topics to suit all of our sisters.

We have also been quite busy in other areas of Theta Phi Alpha Programming. This biennium we have revised

our system for reviewing and approving programs so that we can get feedback to chapters in a more timely

fashion. We have added to our Recruitment Captain program to give our chapters even better coverage and

guidance. We have updated My Sister, My Friend, the Recruitment guide, and the Academic Excellence guide.

We will be offering more updated resources at Convention such as a Risk Management Handbook, Chapter

Operations manual, and National Officers manual.

It has been a mission of the programming team this biennium to help make our resources more user friendly for

our members as well as being able to give more timely feedback and guidance regarding reporting. The move to

online reporting has helped tremendously with this effort. By streamlining our process we have been able to

offer much more support to our sisters within a swifter timeframe.

Although we have been tremendously busy in bringing the latest and greatest educational programming to you,

we still have lofty aspirations for our future. We will continue to enhance the My Sister, My Friend program to

reflect the current learning styles of our new members. We will be implementing a programming research team

consisting of sisters in the field of Higher Education. Their job will be to find much needed resources that we can

get directly to our members. We will continue to lay the groundwork for our comprehensive membership

education experience. This is a process that takes time in order to give our sisters the best possible experience

available.


Allison Bolin

[email protected]

National Executive Secretary


The biennium has been eventful for the areas that work with the National Executive Secretary! I have been on

my toes keeping up with the dedicated and motivated women with whom I have had the pleasure of working.

This team has submitted over 100 monthly reports, proposed and implemented projects and been a source of

inspiration!

I am happy to report that we have seen many improvements at our National Office, including an increase in staff

and square footage. We began the biennium with two full time and one part time employees (due to Jane

Godfray’s retirement) in about 1500 ft2. Theta Phi Alpha now employs four full time and one part time staff

members in about 1800 ft2. We hope to add even more staff to be better able to meet the needs of our

members!

In July 2013, I gained support from Grand Council to undertake a project to examine Theta Phi Alpha’s branding,

in particular our logo. A survey was created and almost 600 members, new members and friends participated.

The survey results indicated the maintenance of our tagline, Ever Loyal, Ever Lasting, but also a desire for an

updated look. Nicole Lasorda was appointed as project manager and I am happy to report that this project is

nearing completion!

One of the main duties of the National Executive Secretary is to maintain membership records; this includes

processing suspensions. I am saddened to report that 168 women have been suspended to date for the 2012-

2014 biennium. With such staggering numbers, Grand Council decided to revise our process to make it easier

for women to be suspended for a period of time (definitely) rather than forever (indefinitely). This change

resulted in an over 500% increase in definite suspension from the 2010-2012 beinnium, from 8% to 41%. I am

happy to be able to report that two women have had their membership reinstated this biennium.

All areas reporting to the National Executive Secretary have seen much progress! History and Archives have

been improved with organization and further research. The quality of Theta Phi Alpha’s membership records

has been vastly improved by detailed attention from the Membership team. Pat Giallanza, Membership

Coordinator, also managed the creation of a new alumna directory which updated hundreds of membership

records. Communications have improved with four editions of The Compass, increased social media presence,

and continuous website updates. I can also report that a Project Manager has been appointed to investigate the

implementation of a mobile app for Theta Phi Alpha! This project has just begun and I look forward to seeing

the results. All of these women in these areas have provided loyal and wise service and I am incredibly grateful

for them!


Jennifer Kreiman

[email protected]

National Treasurer


The attached financial statements reflect the financial status of the Fraternity and the Penguin Shoppe from September 1, 2012, through May 31, 2014. These reports were prepared before all approved projects for the biennium were completed and before all of the Convention expenses were paid.

This past biennium has seen great growth for the Fraternity with the addition of new chapters and alumnae associations, as well as the addition of National Office staff. The Fraternity’s Net Income has increased 37% since May 31, 2012, while our Total Expenses have only increased 11% over May 31, 2012. The Penguin Shoppe Net Income has increased 272% since May 31, 2012. Thank you for your continued support and purchases!

Interacting with the members of the Fraternity continues to be one of my favorite parts of this job. During this biennium, I was honored to attend the reinstatement of the Alpha Delta Chapter, and install the Ohio River Valley Alumnae Association, the Nation’s Capital Area Alumnae Association, and the Appalachian Alumnae Association. Throughout the biennium, I was also able to visit with the Alpha Upsilon chapter and spend time with collegians at the 2013 Leadership Conference, and the 2013 Pennsylvania State Day and the 2014 Pittsburgh Area Theta Phi Day.

Yours in the bonds of sisterhood,


Amy Spagnolo Bailes, Alpha Upsilon [email protected]

Theta Phi Alpha

Balance Sheet

May 31, 2014

Bank Accounts

General Checking 373,725.31

Penguin Shoppe Checking 74,750.94

Money Market Account 397,376.85

Charter One Savings 2,562.68

2012 Convention Checking 2,967.10

Pearl Protectors Checking 217.54

NPC Rotation Fund 22,977.45

Housing 27,991.14

Zeta Chapter Housing 14,375.96

TOTAL Bank Accounts 916,944.97

Asset Accounts

Furniture & Fix 50,946.33

ML Growth & Development

Cash 84,214.26

Ready Assets Prime Money 481.56

Lord Abbett Fund 40,137.55

Oppenheimer Senior Fund 36,761.10

161,594.47

ML General Account

Cash 33,430.00

Ready Assets Prime Money 237.97

Oppenheimer Senior Fund 11,891.15

45,559.12

TOTAL Asset Accounts 258,099.92

TOTAL Bank & Asset Accounts 1,175,044.89

Liability Accounts

Charter One Credit Cards 9,066.59

TOTAL Liability Accounts 9,066.59

NET WORTH 1,165,978.30

Theta Phi Alpha Fraternity

Profit and Loss September 2012 - May 2014

Total

Income Alum Assoc Charter Fee 625.00

Alum Assoc Fees 2,040.00

Alumnae Dues 64,349.31

Billhighway Late Fee Income 1,471.91

Book 230.00

Chapter Donations to Fraternity 4,045.00

Chapter Leadership Training Income 1,200.00

Colony Charter Fee 1,750.00

Colony T-Shirt Income 1,180.00

Convention Fee 48,510.81

Convention Income 177,646.75

Earnings 650.23

G&D Deposits 23,407.36

G&D Loan Int Inc 939.48

G&D Loan Prin Inc 13,753.80

History Book Sales Income 1,290.00

Housing Fund Income 28,325.00

Insurance Income 202,578.61

Investigation Inc 2,000.00

Jewelry Income 221,849.96

Late Fees 5,465.06

LeadConf Income 79,289.79

Links to the Future Income 190.30

Member Service Fees 210,705.00

Misc Income 2,976.59

New Member Fee 177,084.99

Pearl Protector Inc 50.00

Per Capita Fee 460,080.96

Recruitment Fines 7,928.29

Regional Conference 135.42

Ritual Income 43,000.00

Royalty Income 23,786.09

State Day Income 8,675.00

Supplies Income 470.01

Theta Phi Day Income 18,530.04

TPAF Donations Inc 3,523.38

TPAF Income 58,957.03

Total Income

$1,898,691.17



Expenses Acct & Legal Expenses 13,082.50

Advance (210.27)

Alum Assoc & Club Expense 2,471.49

Alumnae Appeal 12,042.94

Alumnae Development 1,062.06

Archives 704.75

Bank Charges 189.00

Billighway On-line Payment Fee 1,950.86

Board of Trustees Expense 3,881.61

Branding Project 1,750.00

Chapter Admin Expense 25,048.47

Colonies Expense 40,233.72

Compass Expense 34,705.48

Constitution Expense 10.15

Convention Expense 112,152.65

Copier Expense 5,820.48

Donations (240.00)

ED Search Expense 890.00

Extension Expense 7,654.15

Finance Charge 122.63

Funeral Expenses 543.01

Graduation Books Exp 2,525.00

Grand Council Expense 24,935.14

Growth & Development Fund Loan 26,771.00

Handbook Exp 2,100.00

Historian 638.06

History Project 113.78

Housing 16.60

Income Tax Expense 1,900.00

Insurance Expense 148,048.00

Investigations 468.42

Jewelry Expense 156,256.76

Lead Conf Expense 91,744.23

Leadership Consultant Expense 121,529.87

Lease Expense 8,970.60

Links to the Future Campaign 1,454.50

Membership Chairman 155.40

Merch Fees 2,186.11

Misc Expense 11,709.02

MSMF 25,590.00



National Office - Gen Expense 44,267.01

National Officers & Volunteers 1,135.47

NO Payroll 213,028.01

Nonprofit Fees 40.00

NPC Expense 19,531.63

NPC Regional Greek Conferences 7,927.75

Pearl Protector Expense 475.00

Printing 32,225.00

Professional Development 500.00

Programming 3,576.32

Rent Expense 24,200.00

Ritual Expense 34,523.28

Seminars 8,247.92

State Days Expense 8,772.84

Supplies Expense 15,514.44

Tax Return Prep Expense 1,550.00

Theta Phi Day Expenses 14,005.47

TPAF Exp 1,418.60

Trademarking Expense 4,000.00

Web Site 13,289.88

Wooden Letter Expense 150.00

Total Expenses $1,339,356.79

Net Income $ 559,334.38

$-

$50,000.00

$100,000.00

$150,000.00

$200,000.00

$250,000.00

$300,000.00

$350,000.00

$400,000.00

$450,000.00

Sep - Nov, 2012

Dec 2012 - Feb 2013

Mar - May, 2013

Jun - Aug, 2013

Sep - Nov, 2013

Dec 2013 - Feb 2014

Mar - May, 2014

Theta Phi Alpha Income vs. Expenses

2012-2014

Total Income

NO Payroll; 16%

Jewelry Expense; 12%

Insurance Expense; 11%

Leadership Consultant

Expense; 9%

Convention Expense; 8%

Lead Conf Expense; 7%

National Office - Gen Expense; 3%

Colonies Expense;

3%

Compass Expense;

3%

Ritual Expense; 2%

Other; 26%

Theta Phi Alpha Expenses 2012-2014

Penguin Shoppe


Total

Income M-Merchandise Sales Income 73,297.42

M-S & H Inc 12,005.37

M-Sales tax Inc 1,275.77

Total Income $ 86,578.56

Expenses M-Discount Exp 1,378.67

M-Merch CC Fee Exp 3,666.84

M-Merchandise Cost Expense 51,564.51

M-Postage Exp 2,640.21

M-Refund Exp 271.90

M-Rent Expense 5,600.00

M-Sales Tax Exp 2,153.10

M-Spirit Show Exp 40.00

M-Supplies Expense 776.19

Total Expenses $ 68,091.42

Net Income $ 18,487.14

$-

$2,000.00

$4,000.00

$6,000.00

$8,000.00

$10,000.00

$12,000.00

$14,000.00

$16,000.00

$18,000.00

$20,000.00

Sep - Nov, 2012

Dec 2012 - Feb 2013

Mar - May, 2013

Jun - Aug, 2013

Sep - Nov, 2013

Dec 2013 - Feb 2014

Mar - May, 2014

Penguin Shoppe Income vs. Expenses

2012-2014

Total Income

M-Merchandise

Cost Expense; 76%

M-Rent Expense; 8%

M-Merch CC Fee Exp; 6%

M-Postage Exp; 4%

M-Sales Tax Exp; 3%

M-Discount Exp; 2%

M-Supplies Expense; 1%

Penguin Shoppe Expenses 2012-2014

Chairman, Board of Trustees on behalf of the Board of Trustees


The Board of Trustees has had a very productive and enjoyable biennium. We oversee six different areas -

Senior Service Awards, Elections, Siena Medal, Convention Awards, National Service Records and Guard of

Honor - as well as serving as an Advisory Board to the Grand Council and completing other tasks as assigned. A

joint meeting was held with the Grand Council in January 2014 in New Orleans. Below are our assignments and

accomplishments for the biennium.

Senior Service Award - Kathy Gaver:

The Senior Service Award process moved online through our website. The online process includes the senior’s

application, summary statement, photo, chapter advisor letters of recommendation, university/college

official/advisor letter of recommendation and intent to nominate. It is important for our seniors and advisors to

understand that seniors electing early alumna status their senior year are not eligible to apply for the award.

The Senior Service Award is presented in recognition of a collegiate member in her senior year. The Senior

Service Award ad flyer was updated. A certificate is now presented to the recipient along with their Senior

Service pin. The procedures for this award were updated to include the changes. In 2013 thirty-nine chapters

and in 2014 forty chapters recognized Senior Service Award recipients. This is about seventy-five percent of our

chapters.

Elections - Karen Rubican:

The Board of Trustees has been researching the feasibility of electronic voting for elections. Barring any last-

minute technology gaffes, the 2014 Elections will be conducted in this fashion.

Siena Medal - Mari Ann Callais:

Rachel Simmons (http://www.rachelsimmons.com) is our 2014 Siena Medalist. Rachel Simmons is the author of

the New York Times bestsellers Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, and The Curse of the

Good Girl: Raising Authentic Girls with Courage and Confidence. As an educator, Rachel works internationally to

empower young women to be more authentic, assertive and self-aware.

Convention Awards - Liz Eberhart:

The awards process has starting moving to online with the alumnae association new reporting format. The next

step will be to move chapter awards to this format. This will be a challenge to the new BOT but an exciting one!

Service Records - Kristin Henkenius:

National Service Records for sisters have been updated and Service Jewelry will be presented to sisters at

Convention.

Guard of Honor - Kristin Henkenius:

The Centennial Convention saw the addition a beautiful certificate for the wearers of the Guard of Honor.

The Board of Trustees has set some goals for 2014-2016 that include review of the entire election process,

moving the Siena Medalist selection to more of a committee-like structure and examining how the awards

process can continue to move from paper to online for chapters.

It has been a pleasure to work with Mari Ann Callais, Liz Eberhart, Laura Foley, Kathy Gaver, and Karen Rubican

on the Board of Trustees during the 2012-2014 biennium. I would also like to thank Pat Seashore for all her help

in managing information for the awards process, Jenn Hubbley for her time spent formatting online information

into a readable format, and the staff at the National Office for all their assistance throughout the biennium.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kristin Henkenius

Chairman, Board of Trustees

On Behalf of the Board of Trustees

National Panhellenic Conference Delegate


The delegation to the National Panhellenic Conference has had a very exciting biennium. Theta Phi Alpha’s impact and

presence in the Panhellenic community continues to grow as our delegation continues to assume important responsibility

within NPC.

From 2012-2014, our delegates served College Panhellenics across the country. Specifically, our delegates advised college

Panhellenics in the states of California, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. In our work in serving these Panhellenic

associations, we provide guidance to collegiate women of many different affiliations as they work to promote the sorority

experience on their campus and in their community.

From 2012-2014, our delegates served on the College Panhellenics and Bylaws committees of NPC. Additionally, Erin

Nemenoff chaired the Measurable Outcomes Committee, which has been tasked with providing an assessment/evaluation

of the impact of “Sorority”. In addition, Jennifer Freer has continued her service on the Release Figures Method (RFM)

team, providing guidance to college Panhellenics during formal recruitment.

The collegiate women of Theta Phi Alpha have made a significant impact on their campuses. In the 2012-2013 academic

year, thirteen of our collegians held the role of Panhellenic President. That means that approximately 24 percent of our

chapters were tasked with leading their Panhellenic communities! In addition, an average of 36 collegians served on their

Panhellenic Executive Board each semester during the 2012-2013 academic year, representing over 55 percent of Theta Phi

Alpha’s chapters through Panhellenic service. Over the 2013-2014 academic year, four of our collegians served as

Panhellenic President, and approximately 30 sisters (of the chapters who completed their report) served on the Panhellenic

Executive Board each semester. As a Fraternity, we continue to contribute to the Panhellenic community on our campuses.

Theta Phi Alpha’s alumnae continue to promote the sorority experience through service in their community’s Alumnae

Panhellenic. Congratulations to our sisters who were recognized by their Panhellenics as “Women of the Year”, as well as to

our alumnae associations who have been recognized by their local Alumnae Panhellenics for their outstanding support of

collegiate chapters and Panhellenics! 26 of approximately 150 active Alumnae Panhellenic Associations have Theta Phi

Alpha represented among their membership. This is a great way to stay connected to Theta Phi, as well as network and

engage with women in your local community. Thank you for your service!

The NPC delegation has set a series of goals for the next biennium. We would like to increase the flow of information

between the chapters and the delegation, as guidance is needed when campuses decide to change total or go through the

extension process -and we are seeing a substantial amount of growth and interest in the sorority experience! Also, we

would like to promote Panhellenic, educate our members about NPC, and recruit more alumnae to serve as Alumnae

Panhellenic delegates in their communities. Further, we feel that it is important to continue to educate the chapters about

the purpose and benefit of the Release Figures Method, which has successfully helped chapters within Panhellenic systems

reach parity.

We appreciate the opportunity to serve the Fraternity, and look forward to doing so in the future.


Erin Nemenoff

[email protected]

National Chairman, Constitution and Bylaws


I am honored to have been appointed as the National Chairman, Constitution and Bylaws at the start of the

biennium, succeeding Patricia R. Marmaduke. I cannot say I replaced Pat because no one can replace her. After

serving on the National Constitution and Bylaws Committee, many of those years as the chairman, Pat elected to

retire. I owe Pat a debt of gratitude for her wisdom, guidance, counseling, and tutelage. Thank you Pat!

The first order of business was updating the National Constitution and Bylaws with the changes approved at the

2012 National Convention. It should be noted that additional changes were approved in 2013, which resulted in

the 2013 National Constitution and Bylaws printing.

The second order of business was to begin reviewing bylaws that had been submitted for review and approval.

A number of chapters aggressively attacked the task of updating their bylaws to reflect the language changes

approved at the 2012 National Convention, and they are to be applauded for this effort. Other chapters

submitted bylaws for review and approval that included these changes and other changes. During the

biennium, the successful efforts of extension lead to new colonies, new chapters, and new associations. Bylaws

from each of those groups were reviewed and approved.

The single biggest advancement in my office this biennium was the introduction of online bylaws submission.

This feature was initially introduced for associations and has now been expanded to include chapters and

colonies as well. The electronic submission form also allows us to confirm that bylaw changes were reviewed

and approved by the group in accordance with their own bylaws, which is a critical step in the process.

The second biggest advancement and the accomplishment I am most proud of was electronic approval of

bylaws. Previously, marked-up and approved bylaws were exchanged in hardcopy form via U.S. Mail. Starting

with this biennium, electronic tools were used to exchange marked-up documents and approved bylaws are

provided in PDF format to enable instant distribution upon receipt.

Third biggest advancement was online tracking and file sharing to track the review progress. I was able to share

my progress “real time” with the National President, National Vice President-Collegians, the National Vice

President-Alumnae, National Vice President-Extension, and the National Office staff. This advancement

improved communications and info sharing so that as a team we can better support the colonies, chapters, and

associations.

Here’s some statistics on the number of bylaws that were reviewed in the biennium: 61 sets of chapter bylaws,

12 sets of colony bylaws, and 15 sets of association bylaws. In total, close to 90 bylaws reviews were conducted,

not to mention the coaching and feedback that was provided outside of the formal review process.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to serve Theta Phi Alpha this biennium as the National Chairman,

Constitution and Bylaws. I hope to be able to continue to do so.

YITBOS -- Yours in the Bonds of Sisterhood, Patricia J. Seashore

Project Manager- National Office


I'm still on the lookout for available leases in the area near the airport. I have a few leads and will check them

out and report back.


Linda Barath

[email protected]

Conference Administrator


I became a CA 6 months into the biennium. I committed the last year and half to learning how my 10 chapters

functioned, what their strengths and weaknesses were, and how could my chapter administration team best

serve them. I was assigned 2 new conference directors in the biennium, so I worked toward training them and

being a resource when they had any questions.

My goals for the biennium were to learn my chapters and the position so that I could be the most effective in my

work. I believe much progress has been made, as all work was finished on time and chapters have made

progress to get off probation.


Kathryn Owsianiecki

[email protected]

Conference Administrator


For the 2012-2014 biennium, I held the position of Epsilon Chapter Advisor, which kept me very busy. I held

monthly meetings with this chapter (and then some) and was constantly in contact with Jennifer Krieman,

Monica Farmer, Epsilon Presidents, Epsilon Advisors, Epsilon Executive Officers, Epsilon Housing Corporation,

and many others to make the two years flow smoothly. Currently, I am working out of that role and transitioning

the position over to Jessica Bradstreet. She will officially take over in August and will do fabulous. I will stay in

contact with the chapter and continue to support them, but I will not be serving on their advisory board. I will

most likely consult them as a member of the Greater Cincinnati Area Alumna Association.

As a Conference Administrator I have worked to smoothly transition three new Conference Directors. Leah

MacPherson, Debra Ashby, and Lindsey Sellers. They are all doing marvelous and I believe they will continue to

enjoy their roles in the next biennium. I have also joined in on numerous phone calls with other Conference

Administrators and Amanda Horvat. We have worked tirelessly to enhance the Conferences in so many ways.

Our team is also now reviewing programs for the chapters we work for. We have approved (and in some cases

did not approve) the documents regarding the New Member programs, Standards Board programs, and

Academic Excellence programs. This has been a learning process for our team, but I feel that it has put us in a

better spot regarding the chapters. We connect with them much more and understand how they function better

now.

I have had to work closely with a few chapters, as we did not have a full conference this biennium, for example

Chi, Alpha Beta, and Alpha Psi were lucky to have that closer relationship with me. I have also coached new

colonies into a lifelong chapter-ship!

Lastly, I helped Beth Wechter put on State Days and per usual it was a great success. I plan on continuing in this

role, as I love to work with Beth and I believe our Ohio State Day is so much fun!


Jessica Ballman

[email protected]

Conference Director


Though my time as a member of the Theta Phi Alpha National Officer team in the most recent biennium has

been brief, I am proud of the collegiate women in my conference for all they have accomplished and the

challenges I am have seen them overcome.

Epsilon had faced some hardships lately, but where others would falter, the ladies at Epsilon bounced back with

maturity beyond their years, a truthfulness and a wisdom that is truly commendable. I have complete faith that

their chapter will only grow in strength and sisterhood in the coming biennium.

Zeta is steady-as-a-rock, impressing me every day with their organization, togetherness, and large size, despite

being so new to the fraternity. Zeta officially reopened in 2012 at the beginning of this biennium, and by the

end, they are 182 sisters strong, highly engaged in philanthropy and their campus community, with wonderful

leadership and organization.

Beta Alpha is situated on a campus without the large Panhellenic community that most of our chapters are

accustomed to, but recently, the Panhellenic women have been working to increase their numbers by

formalizing their recruitment process in the spring. Though it was a huge and somewhat daunting switch from

informal to formal recruitment, the sisters of Beta Alpha prepared accordingly. They were not only successful,

but ended up with one of their largest new member classes yet!

In the coming biennium, I hope to increase my own knowledge of the inner workings of the Fraternity to better

advise the chapters in my conference. I’m excited to continue my relationship with these chapters across

multiple presidents and executive boards. In my opinion, effective officer transitions are important for the

continuity of leadership in any chapter, so I hope to do all I can to aid my chapters through this period. I am

looking forward to all the new challenges and surprises the next two years bring. As more and more bienniums

pass, I hope to see our Fraternity grow, not only in size and chapters and staff, but also in the familiarity and

sisterhood that binds us.


Ally Young

[email protected]

Alumnae Development Committee - Alumnae Installations


This biennium I helped create some standards for installing alumnae associations including an installation

checklist for alumnae, and I also had the opportunity to attend an alumnae association installation in Atlanta,

Georgia.


Samantha Wyant

[email protected]

Conference Director/Officer Training Committee


This biennium has been a great 2 years for me personally. I have moved home, went to graduate school and

started a great job!

During the two years, I became a founding member of the Nation’s Capital Alumnae Area Association! As the

treasurer, we have accomplished a lot for an association with no collegiate channel. I feel proud of the sisters I

have worked in creating the association. We have rec'd tremendous support from many other alumnae

associations. I look forward to the experience and believe that all sisters should join an alumnae association

ASAP.

As CD, it has been a quiet year. My chapters are strong and have great AB support. Gamma Chi is a strong

chapter and ever since I witnessed their installation, they have continued to surprise me with their ability to

define sisterhood and still keep the back office nice and tight!

Gamma Omicron, another installation I was fortunate enough to see, has been working hard to rebuild and

become a strong chapter!

The responsibilities on the Officer Training Committee have been a learning experience for me! The opportunity

to create the manual that will help guide both novice and seasoned Theta Phi National Officers has been a

rewarding experience. We hope this manual will encourage sisters to serve and volunteer their time to

strengthen the fraternity and provide their talents to the betterment of the fraternity.

I won't be at Convention, but hope you all have an awesome time.

With Love,

Antoinette Cummins

[email protected]

National Alumnae Standards Board


The National Alumnae Standards Board (NASB) has had a few cases of alumnae discipline investigation to discuss

this past biennium per the request of Grand Council. Each investigation’s situation is unique and the board

decides actions to take by notifying the members of these cases, what steps have to be taken, and tasks to

accomplish; a recommendation is then provided to the Grand Council.

In addition, NASB has continued the alumnae recognition program from last biennium, known as the Compass

Points Recognition Program. Voting for the recognition occurs regularly, and a group of alumnae to be

recognized goes through a multi-level voting process. I believe that this system works out well. This biennium,

13 extraordinary alumnae were recognized for their acehivements within and outside of the Fraternity.

NASB’s goal for next biennium is to formalize and improve its procedures and record-keeping for long term

success of the board, not only to be a proactive group in understanding our memberships needs, but to also

continue to recognize alumnae for their accomplishments.


Jennifer Lecesse

[email protected]

Director of Colonies


This biennium has many exciting changes for our colonies and colony administration team. Here are some

highlights from the past biennium regarding colony administration:

Chapter Installations and Reinstatements: The colony advising team oversaw eight colonies to chapter

installation (Gamma Psi thru Delta Zeta Chapters) and the reinstatement of two chapters (Alpha Delta and Alpha

Omega) this biennium. This accounts for nearly 18% of our current open chapters!

Preparing for installations/reinstatements requires an immense amount of work for our colonies, installing

officers, National Office staff, big sister chapters, and other volunteers. Under the supervision of the Installation

Specialist, Samantha Wyant, we’ve created new and modified existing planning resources for all parties involved

in order to increase efficiency and ensure that all details are covered. This includes individualized checklists for

each party involved in planning the weekend of events as well as regular communication between all involved

parties throughout the planning process.

We’ve also modified announcement letters regarding installations/reinstatements, ideally to increase the

number of attendees and to increase other modes of support, including the collection of letters to be read

during initiation as well as sponsors for gifted ritual equipment. Whether you’ve attended an

installation/reinstatement, sponsored ritual equipment, and/or sent in a letter, we sincerely appreciate your

support of our new chapters!

Colonization Weekend Changes: Our colonization weekends are the official introduction to Theta Phi Alpha, so

we’ve modified the content to best prepare our new members for installation/reinstatement. Our

comprehensive agenda now includes: new member rituals, officer elections and training, new member

education lessons, and a review of all essential resources and colony expectations. We also add on additional

workshops and activities as needed, such as recruitment training or positive new member education workshops.

Training & Resource Development: To help everyone adjust to working with a diverse group of colonies (i.e.,

colonies “built from the ground up,” colonies started from interests group, and colonies started from local

sororities), colony advising team resources were revamped/created. If you’re interested in viewing the current

colony resources, please check out the National website!

I’d like to close my report with the sincerest expression of gratitude for being given the opportunity to serve the

Fraternity in this capacity and, more importantly, the deepest of thanks to all colony advising team members, as

well as to our National Office Staff and Grand Council. Your support has made many great changes possible, and

I look forward to seeing where our colonies take us in the next biennium! Last but not least, congratulations to

our colony and newly installed chapters for their accomplishments and bright futures with Theta Phi Alpha.

Nikki Conroy, Director of Colonies

Convention/Leadership Conference Chairman


Leadership Conference 2013: June 2013 Conference was held Cleveland State University in Ohio. For this

Conference the theme was “Oh The Leaders We Will Be”. We based the learning experience for the collegians

on what they needed to build a great chapter. We started this with recruiting the right women for your chapter

and who you should recruit. This was a great learning experience for everyone. This Conference was very

interactive and touched on each topic that our chapters needed to focus on.

Convention Planning 2014: This biennium I started working on the Planning for our 2014 Convention in New

Orleans, LA. I am currently working on room assignments, A/V needs, convention booklet, meal planning, and

Fraternity Night Banquet. There are so many different planning aspects of Convention, and I have enjoyed

getting a better understanding of each one.

Summary: Overall, I have enjoyed the experience that planning the Conferences and Conventions has given me.

I look forward to planning many more. I have been able to learn a lot in the time that I have been working on

these events. I think that learning through this process only means that Conferences and Conventions are going

to be better and better each time.


Lisa Searing

[email protected]

Director of Chapter Programs


A new system has been developed to review and approve several chapter programs through Programming and

Chapter Administration partnerships. Conference Directors and Conference Administrators now review and

approve Academic Excellence, Standards Board, and New Member Education programs. This gives Conference

Directors and Conference Administrators more opportunities to connect with the chapters with whom they have

already built relationships. National programming chairmen are available to answer questions and make

recommendations regarding programs.

The Programming and Alumnae teams have partnered to develop a resource for National Officers. The resource

includes information on mentorship, facilitation, college student development theory, and other

recommendations for national officers to be successful whether they are working with chapters, colonies,

alumnae associations, collegians, new members, alumnae, and/or other National Officers.

The Academic Excellence Guide has been updated for the upcoming biennium. The guide includes

recommendations for incentives to encourage members to excel academically, sanctions and ways to support

members who meet academic challenges, and ways to create environments that promote academic success.

With the dedication and hard work of many committed National Programming Chairs, the National Vice-

President -Programming, and other Grand Council members and National Officers, I believe progress has been

made in chapter programs and will continue into the next biennium. I look forward to continue partnerships

and further enhancing chapter programming.


Jessica Knerr

[email protected]

National Director of Publication


Hello sisters! I hope that you have enjoyed our national magazine, The Compass, over the past biennium! I have

worked very hard along with many other sisters to bring you the best magazine we could possibly put out. Over

the past two years, we have published four (4) issues of The Compass. During this time, Theta Phi Alpha

celebrated 100 years with our Centennial Celebration in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was wonderful to go home to

our (closed) Alpha Chapter at the University of Michigan. Our special Centennial issue was a double issue and

was 60 pages! It was the largest issue that we’ve published in recent years! It was my pleasure to capture the

essence of our Centennial Celebration in the pages of The Compass. If you couldn’t attend Convention, I hope

that you were able to enjoy the Centennial Celebration as much as we did through photos and stories!

In 2012, I spoke about our new print company, Innova Ideas & Services - A Sigler Company, and how wonderful

our relationship is with them. Our design team has again done an amazing job with these past four issues. They

are such a wonderful asset in our mission to bring the best magazine to our readers.

For the upcoming 2014-2016 biennium, I hope to bring you a wonderful spread about our 50th National

Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. We’ve received so many photo submissions over the past year, and I

hope to keep bringing you wonderful photos of our chapters, associations, and sisters in general! I would love to

highlight every alumnae association, chapter, and colony over the next biennium!

There are so many people who have written an article, submitted a picture, or just given the magazine an edit

during these past two years. If you were involved somehow in one of these issues, thank you for helping to

move The Compass forward in such a positive direction, and thank you for helping me succeed as a National

Officer during this biennium. It was certainly a pleasure working with all of you!


Lauren Gallo

[email protected]

National New Member Educator


For as long as I’ve had my position within this biennium, I’ve been working on improving the New Member

Educators’ knowledge about their positions and their responsibilities toward our new members. I’ve done this

through conference calls and emails with the New Member Educators. My goal for this office was to reach out to

each of our Educators and to start brainstorming ways in which to advance our My Sister, My Friend program.

I’m currently compiling ways in which our New Member Educators can improve our teaching within the program

through the use of hands on, interactive lessons. For the future, I would like to have this resource available

online to our New Member Educators, this way it is readily accessible and easily updated. I would also like to

create and maintain an online group for our New Member Educators to utilize for brainstorming and/or sharing

their ideas as their semesters progress.


Kayla Singletary

[email protected]

National Philanthropy Chairman


In the past biennium I have been working through the philanthropy and community service reports to calculate

the total amount of service hours completed by the chapters. I hope to have this completed by June 21st.

Some of my future goals include: assisting the sisters in promoting philanthropy better during recruitment.

Creating a philanthropy promotional video to be shown during recruitment; creating a shared list of

philanthropy and community service ideas among the chapters; better defining the philanthropy The House that

Theta Phi Alpha Built.

Improvements that can be made: to follow up with the chapters after reports are submitted.

Targeted goals include: working on the philanthropy promotional video. I would also like to see pictures being

added as an option for when chapters submit reports. That way we can visually see all the great work our

chapters are doing in the area of philanthropy and community service.


Allison Bolin

[email protected]

National Standards Board Chairman


My position began in October 2013. After speaking with Alison Bolin, we discussed that the project that would

be main focus would be to create a Sample Standards Guide for Chapters to use to help them create their own. I

completed the Sample Standards Guide and forwarded the Standards Guide to Alison on January 20, 2014.

Once that was completed I began to review Chapters submitted Standard Guides, and spoke with the Vice

President of Gamma Nu as they were to have regular contact with myself due to recent events in the chapter. I

reviewed on a timely basis Standards Guide that were sent to National Office, and in the Dropbox folders.


Kaitlyn Guerrieri

[email protected]

National Recruitment Chairman


This biennium has brought about great things in the aspect of recruitment within the Fraternity. Not only was

recruitment the highlight of Leadership Conference 2013, but also our chapters continue to grow in numbers

and recruitment strength. As a whole, the Fraternity’s focus on recruitment continues to be beneficial in the

everlasting motto of Theta Phi Alpha.

During the biennium, a Recruitment Captain Guide was built to ensure that the proper training, duties, and

expectations were knowledgeable to all Captains. Through conference calls, emails, and other communications,

this new guide was introduced in the fall of 2013. The summer and fall of 2013 also brought about a newly

updated Recruitment Guide to the Fraternity. The Recruitment Guide received a fresh look, as well as updated

recruitment tips. It can be found on the Fraternity’s website.

Chapters, as a whole, demonstrated recruitment success through increasing recruitment numbers as

evidenced by the number of new members reported. Fall 2012 yielded 578 new members. Spring 2013 yielded

570 new members. Fall 2013 yielded 666 new members. Spring 2014 yielded 594 new members. After

PhiredUp was the main facilitator at Leadership Conference 2013, recruitment numbers went up in the Fall 2013

recruitment period after this program. I hope to see continued success in the aspect of recruitment in the

future!


LeeAnn Prisk

[email protected]

Business Continuity Coordinator


Theta Phi Alpha’s Business Continuity program was created in 2012 as a result of grass root efforts to assist Theta Phi Alpha

and our members before, during, and after any emergencies or incidents that may put our members or organization at risk.

We help to prepare before any events and organize response efforts during and after situations. We also make

recommendations to the National Office and the Grand Council to help ensure that our Fraternity can continue to function

despite any serious incidents that might interrupt our operations. In 2012 I began a facebook emergency communications

group to assist sisters as Hurricane Isaac bared down on several states and subsequently Hurricane Sandy and the toll it

took on so many areas. We were able to utilize the page to locate sisters that were in harm’s way and helped with rescue

and relief efforts with numerous donations of needed items. We also worked with community leaders on getting some

people evacuated and to safety. Over 700 sisters joined our group and as a result with the encouragement and support of

Grand Council, a National Officer position was created to manage this area.

We created an official group at www.facebook.com/ThetaPhiAlphaEmergencyCommunicationsPage which allows sisters,

parents, school officials, and community leaders to communicate about potential incidents and to check-in on their status

during or after a significant emergency. We have coordinated communications with the Foundation and sisters in need of

potential emergency funding and provided advice in advance of situations such as flooding, winter storms, preparedness

lists, power outage & food safety and even offering transportation and lodging when sisters were stranded due to

inclement weather and cancellations.

Our Business Continuity Assistant- Amy Rybar Schrock, BN was appointed to ensure that we had continuous support

regardless of the location of an emergency. We created a survey and did a risk assessment for critical functions of the

Fraternity, its officers and the National Office. We made recommendations about backup needs and the importance of

preparing for the potential need for officers, chapters and staff to have critical documents duplicated and available despite

loss of power or access to home, work or school. We researched what other organizations were doing to prepare and

respond to emergencies and began a business impact analysis for the Fraternity.

We responded with support efforts for not only tropical and winter storms but also severe tornados, fires, and potential

campus violence concerns. We monitored local and national events that endangered sisters’ communities and worked

with the Foundation on partnering to assist sisters in need. We worked with many volunteer sisters to coordinate the

status of sisters following a series of tornadoes that swept through Wayne, NE and impacted our Alpha Pi Chapter and area

alumnae. We also worked with numerous volunteer sisters to aid an Alpha Tau alumna who lost her home in an Oklahoma

Tornado and helped organize over $1500 in donations and goods for her and the children she helped take care of.

We encourage collegians, alumnae, and your families to connect with our facebook group and to engage with us especially

when there is any imminent danger or the need for support following an incident and to share your advice, experience or

suggestions about what we can do to assist ourselves and our Fraternity before and after emergencies and times of need.


Cathy Billoni

[email protected]

National Membership Coordinator


As a membership organization, our most valuable assets are the women who have pledged their lifelong loyalty

to Theta Phi Alpha. Ongoing communication with them is vital to the future of the Fraternity.

We rely on individuals, chapters, and alumnae associations to notify National Office when changes in names or

contact information occur. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this effort during the biennium.

My responsibilities include tracking down lost members, reviewing graduation and initiation reports that have

been processed by National Office staff, providing an annual demographic report to Grand Council, and notifying

our database vendor when duplicate records or errors occur. Because of the interaction between the database

and chapter websites, we have dealt with the creation of hundreds of duplicate and triplicate records during the

biennium. I am working with Grand Council to suggest modifications to national reports that would help reduce

and eventually eliminate this problem. This includes adding the middle and maiden name fields back into our

records. Thousands of updates have been processed since 2012.

During the biennium, we produced the Theta Phi Alpha 2013 Alumnae Directory. The first was published in

1986, the second in 1994, and the third in 2001. Karen Jenkins Rubican of Alpha Sigma Chapter contributed the

historical portion of the book. Margaret Barnett of Alpha Beta Chapter designed the cover. Harris Connect

gathered the membership data and published the directory in hardcopy and electronic format at no cost to the

Fraternity. Approximately 500 sisters purchased the directory.

Based on information received at Harris from more than 2,000 respondents, we were able to find 691 lost

members, identify 86 lost members as "deceased," and add or update 1,283 email addresses.

My deepest thanks go to Susan Grau Lee, Assistant Membership Coordinator, for her assistance throughout the

biennium. On a regular basis, Sue and I divided the responsibility of updating record changes - she handled

alumnae associations while I worked on active chapters. Sue and I both share a passion for preserving the

records of our membership. It's a privilege to serve in this capacity.


Patricia Giallanza

[email protected]

Webmaster


This past biennium, we have implemented the process of applying for the Foundation scholarship and the Senior

Service Award as an online process.

We had a minor issue with ads appearing on our main page. With the aid of Celect support, we resolved those

in relatively quick order.

We have also continued maintenance of the site and resolving membership issues as they come in.


Barbara Luse Gjerstad

[email protected]

Social Media Coordinator


Social media has really taken off in Theta Phi Alpha! One of the primary responsibilities of the Social Media

Coordinator is to develop and execute social media campaigns to support Theta Phi Alpha’s current initiatives

and I believe that we have made great strides in this area. Our social media presence is stronger than ever and

continues to grow every day.

Our original goals were to become more active on Facebook and to revive our Twitter account. Two years ago,

we had just under 5,000 Facebook fans and today we have almost 6,500. We also now have approximately 3,200

followers on Twitter. We have since realized the importance of expanding our social media umbrella and have

recently started a Theta Phi Alpha Pinterest and Instagram. We have also gained administrator access to

previously operated Theta Phi LinkedIn and YouTube accounts so as to retain the original followers and build

upon established accounts. Our biggest feat of collectively operating all National Theta Phi Alpha social media

accounts is now complete!

Goals for the future of our social media include continuing to establish our presence, especially on newer

accounts such as Pinterest and Instagram, and increasing participation on Facebook and Twitter. Throughout the

next year, we would like to see 3,500 followers on Twitter and 7,000 fans on Facebook. Additional social media

goals would be to increase the ease of navigation on and between accounts and to use social media to our

advantage during extension presentations and recruitment.


Ashleigh Stahr

[email protected]

Rebranding Manager


This biennium I've worked on recreating Theta Phi Alpha's brand, including the logo.


Nicole Lasorda

[email protected]

National Archivist


The position of Theta Phi Alpha’s National Archivist was filled in November 2012 after the need was determined

at Convention in July 2012. Since that time, progress has been made in many areas, and I now have a clearer

vision of the progress that is still to come.

My first visit to National Office occurred in April of 2013, and I was joined by Karen Rubican, National Historian.

My goal for that visit was very simple; assess the way things were at the time, and determine how they should

be. I completed a basic survey of the various record types, media types and current locations of items belonging

in the Fraternity’s archives. My primary recommendation to National Office staff was to relocate the archival

materials from the adjacent storage room to the primary office space. This was done to eliminate the risk of

exposing those items to inconsistent temperatures and humidity levels, as well as pest infestation; all of which

can cause permanent damage to archival materials.

My second visit to National Office came in April of 2014, during which great strides were made in developing a

sustainable archive for the Fraternity. By the time I had arrived for this visit, nearly all of the archival materials

had been centrally located to one room within the primary office space at National Office. During this visit, I paid

special attention to creating an inventory of past and retired awards, measuring their dimensions and assigning

them a location. I gained a clearer vision of what steps need to be accomplished next and how to go about

completing those steps.

My goals for the future include increasing the frequency of my visits to National Office to a minimum of two per

year. I also plan to begin ordering archival supplies that will aid in the arrangement, accessibility and

preservation of our Fraternity’s history. Tarnish resistant bags will be created for some of our retired awards

whereas other awards will be housed in appropriate boxes. I will also be completing Records Management

training as part of my professional career, which will include many transferable skills applicable to my work as

Theta Phi Alpha’s National Archivist. It is my goal to be at least 40% “processed” by next biennium.

The development of Theta Phi Alpha’s Fraternity Archives is off to a great start and I am looking forward to

continuing this important work in the future.


Sarah LeRoy

[email protected]

National Assistant Treasurer


Fielding questions from chapters, colonies, and National Officers. Following up with Chapters when asked by the

NT or when directly contacted. I am always trying to come up with ways to remotely aid chapters with AR% and

getting all of their reports in. I try to provide suggestions and have been testing out one on one chapter aid-

which started off well and then faded. One of my goals for this biennium is to improve the connection with

chapters.

One of my main goals from last biennium was to be more organized and focus on documentation. I have been

very good about keeping a record of issues that have come up, the process that was taken, and if available, the

out come.

I created a media calendar for the Treasurer facebook group. My goal is to get that implemented.

I have been in contact with Billhighway and NO.


Jennifer Lecesse

[email protected]

National Housing Chairman


Following Convention 2012, an officer transition was completed between the previous chairman and the new

chairman. Some existing issues were still addressed by the previous chairman for continuity, through late 2012.

The MJ Housing Forum, given by MJ Insurance, is the premiere conference for women’s housing in Greek Life. I

have been able to attend both Forums in this biennium. The information gathered and the networking done is

invaluable to our organization. The topics covered range from employment laws to preventative maintenance

plans. From discussions in Indianapolis, I have worked with the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation and the National

President to establish a connection between educational funding and housing. This has the potential to utilize

tax deductible funds for educational needs in chapter housing. The basis for our template bylaws and articles

are from this same conference. The recommended structure for our National Housing Corporation is based on

the benchmarking of other organizations matched with our existing structure.

I am looking for qualified candidates to add to the National Housing team. People with experience in

construction, real estate, real estate law, architecture or similar areas are potential candidates. Please see

Tracey Liphardt if you have pertinent experience and can support Theta Phi Alpha housing. With additional help,

we can establish the appropriate reporting formats, frequencies, etc. Our goal is to provide local house

corporations with services to support their needs. The team will also support chapters with suites and those

looking for housing on their campus. We will also ensure compliance to governmental, university and Theta Phi

Alpha requirements. A national housing structure can communicate the lessons learned among local housing

corporations so we do not repeat mistakes, but make improvements.

In May of 2013, I had the opportunity to personally review the Epsilon chapter house. It still needs some work

but the completed jobs and plans for the future are the right things to do.

The Mu chapter house and local housing corporation were established in this biennium. A big Thank You to

Kathy Gaver for taking on that responsibility!

A chapter house should be an asset while being affordable. That is not an easy task, however, with the chapter

and local housing corporation working together, it is possible.


Tracey Liphardt

[email protected]

National Song Chairman


As National Song Chairman, and as a vocalist by trade, I love bringing the gift of music to our Fraternity. The

most exciting part of this position is leading the Convention Choir. As National Convention approaches, I strive to

find songs, both written by our members and those outside our Fraternity repertoire, that represent the

different activities themes we celebrate during this time. I could not be more excited for my hometown to be

hosting this year's celebration and I am excited to share New Orleans's culture with our members. Music is such

an integral part of our Fraternity and our New Orleans community, and I am looking forward to the wonderful

fusion that will occur at this year's National Convention.


Ashleigh Alleman [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

National President 2012-2014 Convention Report President 2012-2014 Convention Report ... as well as represented Theta Phi Alpha at the May 2013 ... has been and I have been so blessed