Leadership: Taking Care of Others – And Yourself

As I travel on behalf of the National Panhellenic Conference and work with today’s young women, I am constantly amazed at the strong desire they have to make an impact and leave a lasting legacy.

NPC Chairman Carole Jones

During the 2019 College Panhellenic Academy in Indianapolis last month, I was privileged to work with the recruitment officers. Wow! Talk about enthusiasm and passion. They are ready to take on the world. The challenges they face each and every day – whether that’s facilitating hard conversations, finding new ways to market sorority life on their campus or figuring out how to better serve potential new members  – are providing them leadership skills to use throughout their lives.

Always a highlight of Academy are the “The Talks: Learning Through the Stories of Others.” Four amazing women shared messages about leadership – what exceptional leaders must be able to do, becoming a stronger leader while “growing up” as the only “other,” the importance of self-care and the secret to successful goal setting and dream building.

The Talks speakers (clockwise from left): Alexis Cooper,
Rita Elfarissi, Lindsay Boccardo and Alexandra Rufatto-Perry

Two of the speakers were college senior Alexis Cooper and young alumna Rita Elfarissi. Alexis attends Utah State University majoring in bio-veterinary medicine and minoring in chemistry and biology. She is a member of Kappa Delta and has held many positions within Kappa Delta as well as on the Utah State Panhellenic Council, and currently holds the title of Miss USU 2018-19. Alexis talked about the subtle racism she experiences as the only “other,” and challenged the audience to think beyond stereotypes. Her message was empowering – diversity in Panhellenic life matters. “Strength comes from diversity,” she said. “The different experiences, different backgrounds and different mindsets make a chapter more united. We are change and we need to start thinking about being better by being open to culturally diverse membership.”    

“Leadership and Self-Care: How to Cultivate Change While Exercising Healthy Mindfulness” was Rita Elfarissi’s story. A recent graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Rita is a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and served as Panhellenic vice president of judicial affairs. She participated in the Fraternity Government Relations Congressional visits for three years, which gave her the opportunity to advocate for sorority and fraternity legislative initiatives on Capitol Hill. Rita’s message: We can’t lead others if we aren’t leading ourselves. When this became abundantly clear to her, she did two things -- started taking a yoga class each day and stopped answering emails after 5:30 p.m. 

The courage and passion Alexis and Rita shared in their messages set the tone for a weekend of leadership building. Alexandra Rufatto-Perry and Lindsay Boccardo also spoke on leadership and left messages for leaders to consider. Lindsay noted that none of us can make it alone, we all need each other or a “life team,” a group of individuals hand-selected to teach you necessary life skills and show you how to build a life you want. 

The recommendations from Alexandra included always saying, “thank you” and admitting you need help. “Great leaders know how to ask for help because it lets other people shine,” she said. “It makes it safe for other people around you to ask for help too.”

Lorin Phillips

Lorin Phillips, a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma, tied it all together and wrapped up the educational weekend in her closing keynote, "Lessons from the Next Generation of Panhellenic Women." 

She recommended making this year about building each other up and taking care of ourselves. “Be a support system for one another,” she said.


Bottom line: Leadership is a choice, but when you make that choice, be free to commit yourself to it while also taking care of yourself. 

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones
NPC chairman 2017-19

From the NPC Chairman: Ensuring vibrant, healthy fraternity and sorority communities

When I wrote my first chairman’s message last November, little did I know how prophetic it might prove to be. Now, as I reflect on this past year, the members of the National Panhellenic Conference most certainly have been “facing challenges and embracing opportunities… together.”

During 2017, we identified many challenges, including a plateau in sorority community expansion and a decline in the number of college-aged students, which make up the vast majority of our potential pool for new members. We were also aware of the impacts to the sorority experience from new generational trends for our current members as well as incoming college students.

All of these things were putting pressure on NPC and our member organizations to examine how we work internally and how we work together. Yet, even more challenges lay ahead including student tragedies that would call us to be even more vigilant in fighting against hazing, alcohol abuse and dangerous social cultures on college campuses.

There also was an increase in policy decisions that would restrict the right of students to freely associate and threaten the opportunity for collegians to become sorority members.

NPC faced these challenges head-on and embraced the opportunities laid before us, and we did so with NPC leadership, staff and our 26 member organizations working toward the same objective: To advance the sorority experience together.

Our work began with five strategic priorities:

• Preservation of the sorority experience
• Growth and sustainability
• Conference structure
• Public relations and marketing strategy to promote the sorority experience
• Implementation of the NPC communication plan

With those priorities in mind, we executed the kinds of operational activities that make a difference for our member organizations, College Panhellenics and Alumnae Panhellenics. It’s that combination of strategic planning and operational work that demonstrates our commitment to tackling important issues that impact the Panhellenic community so the sorority experience may thrive now and for generations to come.

NPC’s voice has been heard as we continue efforts to advocate for and preserve the sorority experience. We have taken our message on campus visits, to state legislators and to the steps of Capitol Hill. Working hand in hand with each other and with our fraternity partners we are making a difference on our campuses, in our communities and on the state and national levels.

NPC continues to advocate for the positions we have taken against infringement on the rights of our organizations through conversations with university and college administrators with the purpose of providing education that we want to be partners with our host institutions, but when oversight overreaches, we are proactive in protecting our future.

Continued collaboration with our member organizations, industry partners and higher education administrators will ensure that our sorority and fraternity communities stay vibrant and healthy now and into the future.

Interfraternally,

Carole J. Jones

2017-19 NPC chairman

For more about the work of NPC, please read our latest annual report.

Feature stories in this year's report include NPC's advocacy work, the work of NPC think tanks to address the challenges of today's world, partnerships, College Panhellenic Academy, College Panhellenic projects, Alumnae Panhellenic projects and communications.