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NATIONAL PANHELLENIC
BY LORETTA GOOD, NPC CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
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The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC)—the trade association for 26 inter/national women’s-only sororities, including Alpha Sigma Alpha—hosted its Annual Conference, March 31 – April 1, at The Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. The event, which had been postponed from fall 2021, was followed by the 2022 NPC Annual Membership Meeting on April 2.
“After several pandemic-related delays, it was truly special for NPC to host this Annual Conference and bring representatives of our member organizations together in person for robust conversation and friendship across badges,” said NPC Chairman Cheri M. De Jong.
NPC Annual Conference The purpose of the Annual Conference is to convene NPC’s member organizations for networking and discussion of topics of mutual interest. This event kicked off on March 31 with a welcome luncheon and the State of the Conference report.
NPC Chairman De Jong began by welcoming attendees and asking them to remember those who had passed since the Conference last gathered, whether due to the pandemic or another cause. She also asked attendees to reflect on the purpose of the meeting and the Panhellenic spirit that brings the Conference together to work cooperatively to make a positive difference for NPC organizations and their members.
Next, De Jong and NPC CEO Dani Weatherford, J.D., presented the State of the Conference report on behalf of the NPC Board of Directors. De Jong shared updates on work of the board, including the various initiatives the board has directed and how those initiatives are defining their future focus.
Weatherford then shared an update on the work of NPC staff and volunteers, focusing on the many projects completed this past year, as well as some of the ongoing work related to finishing the 2019-22 Strategic Plan.
Taking the place of a traditional town hall, “The Conference Conversation” brought attendees together for discussion on three topics. Most significantly, the majority of the conversation focused on the member organizations’ strong focus on growth in recruitment and what actionable steps the Conference can take so more women join our organizations.
Programming also included formal awards presentations. During the NPC Foundation dinner on Thursday, the NPC Foundation presented the 2021 Women in Higher Education Achievement Award (WHEA Award) to Dr. Cecilia E. Suarez, assistant professor of intercultural communication & global leadership, department of agricultural education & communication, University of Florida, and a member of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. The NPC Foundation also provided recognition for Barbie Chadwick, the outgoing NPC Foundation president and member of Gamma Phi Beta.
During the Friday night NPC Awards dinner, the following awards were presented:
• Distinguished Service Award:
Patricia Plumlee “Patty” Disque, a long-time NPC volunteer and member of Chi Omega.
• Harriet Macht Outstanding Alumnae Panhellenic Award:
Houston Alumnae Panhellenic
Association.
of these actions were outcomes BRANDof the recent Recruitment Reform Projects and designed to create STANDARDS MANUAL a more authentic recruitment experience for potential new members and further reduce From left to right: Sarah Johnson Gafron, BΘ, assistant director of collegiate services, Kelly McGinnis Beck, EK, national president, Krystal Geyer Slivinski, ΓP, executive director. barriers to sorority membership. Delegates also received the financial report and discussed NPC’s government relations platform. In addition, the delegates elected the 2022-23 Nominating Committee, responsible for soliciting nominations of women to serve on the 202325 NPC Board of Directors. The committee members are Erin Killingsworth, Alpha Delta Pi; Jamie Jones Miller, Alpha Sigma Tau; Megan James, Delta Delta Delta; Katie Vlietstra Wonnenberg, Phi Sigma Sigma and Ann Adams, Sigma Kappa. The board election will be held during the next NPC Annual Membership Meeting in spring 2023 (date TBA). De Jong said, “While the Annual Membership Meeting is primarily a forum for transacting the business of the Conference, it is also a forum for the NPC Board of Directors to hear directly from the delegates, who are there as the voice of their member organizations. This year’s meeting was no exception, and we appreciate the continued communication and collaboration during this gathering and throughout the year.”
• Impact Award: Rae Ann Gruver and Evelyn Piazza, both founding members of the Anti-Hazing
Coalition and members of
Alpha Delta Pi.
• Interfraternal Partner Award:
Jonathan Coffin, senior vice president, VOX Global (NPC’s public relations partner).
• Outstanding Panhellenic Advisor:
Reginald Lane, formerly the director of the office of sorority and fraternity affairs, University of Florida.
Event programming also included large group sessions, including a panel discussion with four campus administrators about trends in higher education and a virtual presentation from VOX Global about NPC’s marketing and public relations efforts. Attendees also met with NPC Partner Program representatives.
Weatherford said, “While we believe this was a very successful event, we’ve already begun to analyze feedback from the attendees so we can make future Annual Conferences even more relevant and engaging.” NPC will host its next Annual Conference, Oct. 13 – 15, in Indianapolis.
2022 NPC Annual Membership Meeting Following the NPC Annual Conference, the Council of Delegates met for the 2022 NPC Annual Membership Meeting. Per the NPC Bylaws, the Council of Delegates is composed of a representative from each of the 26 NPC member organizations, and this meeting is required to be held between Jan. 1 and June 1 annually.
2018
During the 2022 NPC Annual Membership Meeting, the primary business objective was the consideration of additions, changes and deletions to the NPC Bylaws, Unanimous Agreements and College and Alumnae Panhellenic policies. The delegates adopted nearly 25 amendments to the NPC Bylaws as proposed by the Bylaws Review Committee. They also adopted changes the Values-Based Recruitment – POLICY and eliminated the Panhellenic Officer Disassociation During Recruitment – POLICY. Both
