Empowering Pi Phi Leaders

Leadership development is at the core of what Pi Beta Phi does every day in chapters across North America. When young women become members of Pi Beta Phi, they are encouraged and empowered to lead within their chapter, campus and greater community. Throughout the years, many Pi Phi leadership initiatives have been created with the goal of developing and supporting confident leaders.

In 1968, Pi Beta Phi launched a consultant program as a way to make an impact at the chapter level. From 1968-1969 Kansas Beta MARTY REYNOLDS WHITE served as the first Traveling Graduate Counselor (TGC), now known as Leadership Development Consultant (LDC). As the first Pi Phi consultant, Marty played a critical role in the development of one of Pi Phi’s first leadership development opportunities. “I looked at it as a real opportunity to learn more about myself and Pi Phi and to encourage others to have an experience similar to mine,” Marty said on pioneering the consultant program.

From Kanas Beta MARTY REYNOLDS WHITE (above) to Mississippi Gamma CAITLIN GARDNER (below), Pi Beta Phi's Leadership Development Consultant program has proven itself a valuable asset both to the Fraternity and to the individuals themselves.

While Marty hoped for members to share aspects of her experience, she understood that the 60s were a time of great change. She recognized the significance of supporting her sisters while they created their own experiences. “Understanding where other people were coming from was important, because what we had in central Kansas was much different than what was going on in Berkeley or at Cornell,” she said. Marty spent her year as a consultant visiting chapters who faced challenges and assisting with chapter operations. Her enthusiasm for Pi Phi led her to empower chapter members and emphasize the importance of sisterhood and sorority.

The opportunity to guide our collegiate members has always required a great deal of support from Fraternity leadership. “To know that somebody had trust and faith in me to go out and do this — you’re empowered by that,” Marty explained. “You gain confidence and realize that there’s work to be done and you can do it.” Not only did Marty feel empowered to lead, but she was the first in a long line of young alumnae who worked to support the next class of Pi Phi leaders.

Today, Pi Phi has several LDCs who visit chapters to mentor collegians and promote leadership development through their shared sisterhood. Mississippi Gamma CAITLIN GARDNER, a member of the 2019-2020 LDC class, reflected on her experience and the impact it has had on her life. “We always say ‘we’re making an impact on these women,’ but what I’ve found is that they’re doing the same for us,” she said. “They have helped me grow into a more confident leader than they probably even realize.” Building confidence has been a staple in Caitlin’s experience as a consultant and is something she knows affects leadership – which is why she makes it a focus at every chapter visit. “It really is all about instilling confidence in these women and empowering them to do what they believe is right.”

Consultants often don’t get to see their effect on chapter members, but their impact can sometimes be felt after multiple visits. “It’s inspiring to see leaders I meet in the fall semester who are still trying to figure things out, completely blossom when I visit again in the spring," Caitlin shared. "These young women, who never thought they’d serve on Executive Council or never thought they would be in a sorority, are now growing. They’ve found their voice and are so much more confident than they were just a few months prior. Those moments of growth have been my favorite to witness.”

Both of these women have experienced the value of one of the many leadership development opportunities provided by Pi Beta Phi. As a Foundation donor, Marty is grateful for the opportunity to continue to be a part of developing the next generation of leaders. While reflecting on her most recent gift to our Foundation, Marty emphasized, “It was an opportunity to give back, and I was so glad that I was in a position to do that.”