2

Join the conversation on

social media using the following

hashtag:

on both Twitter and Instagram!

3

Schedule

*Ballroom C

Locations for sessions are listed with presentation

overviews on the following pages.

Recommendations are given for specific chapter

officer positions as to which sessions to attend.

However, these are only recommendations. You are

free to choose which sessions to attend based on

what you believe you will gain from those sessions.

8:30 a.m.—9:00 a.m.

9:15 a.m.—10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m.—11:20 a.m.

11:30 a.m.—12:20 p.m.

12:30 p.m.—1:30 p.m.

1:40 p.m.—2:30 p.m.

2:40 p.m.—3:30 p.m.

Registration

Keynote: David Westol*

Session 1

Session 2

Lunch*

Session 3

Session 4

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Keynote Speaker: David Westol

Dave Westol (@Limberlost1)

is the founder, owner, and

CEO of Limberlost Consult-

ing.

Dave is an alumnus of Michi-

gan State University and the

Detroit College of Law. His

involvement with fraterni-

ty/sorority life includes serving as recruitment chair and new

member educator for his chapter and Vice President for

Communications and President of the MSU Interfraternity

Council. Following his graduation from Michigan State he

served five years as a regional volunteer and eight years as

a national officer for his fraternity. He then served for 18

years as Chief Executive Officer of Theta Chi. He also

served as an assistant director of student activities and ad-

visor to fraternities at MSU while attending law school.

Dave is licensed to practice law in the State of Michigan

and is a member of the Michigan Bar. He is a member of

the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and

received Certified Association Executive status in 1997.

Dave served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in Kala-

mazoo County, Michigan for nine years before becoming

CEO of his fraternity. He served as President of the Fraterni-

ty Executives Association from 2002-2003 and has served or

5

continues to serve on the boards of directors for FIPG

(Fraternal Information and Programming Group), Haz-

ingPrevention.org, Gamma Sigma Alpha, the North Ameri-

can Interfraternal Foundation and the Association of Frater-

nal Leadership and Values (AFLV).

Dave has made presentations on over 420 campuses and

at over 300 national men’s and women’s fraternity and so-

rority events. He has nearly twenty national fraternities and

sororities as clients for services ranging from board orienta-

tion, governance and governing document review, risk

management, alumnae/alumni corporation develop-

ment and chapter membership reviews, of which he has

participated in or overseen over 90.

Dave has officiated high school football in Michigan, Penn-

sylvania and Indiana. He began his 27th season as a foot-

ball official in August of 2012 and his seventh as Referee.

He has worked as an official at the D-II and D-III college lev-

els. He served three years as co-chairman of the Indiana

Officials Association football section—the IOA is the largest

of over 20 associations in Indiana—and now co-chairs the

New Football Officials program. His officiating crew ad-

vanced to the Sectional Final game level in 2011.

Dave was honored with the Gold Medal from the North

American Interfraternity Conference for service to the inter-

fraternal community in April of 2012. He received the Silver

Medal from the Conference in 1995.

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Session 1 & Session 2 Executing a Quality New Member

Education Program

James Crawford

SUB 221

Attendees should be willing and able to discuss effective plan-

ning techniques; develop a new member education plan; devel-

op a communication plan with alumni, new members, university

staff, parents, and other stakeholders concerning event activities,

outcomes, etc.

Recommended for: New Member Educator, Membership,

President, Vice President

Scholarship: Improving Chapter Academics and In-

creasing Chapter GPA

Michael Ayalon

SUB 224

Understand where the Greek community stands in relation to the

University for academics, to develop a sound scholarship pro-

gram in the chapter, set academic goals, and to improve time

management skills.

Recommended for: Scholarship, New Member Educator, Vice

President, President

Finance in Fraternity and Sorority Life

Don Anderson

BALLROOM D

Students can expect to learn:

the ABCs of creating and monitoring a chapter budget;

forming 990 Informational Returns and succession planning;

best practices for banking, security, and purchases including

incompatible duties, as well as internal monitoring;

personal financial mentoring-basics, best practices, and

building and maintaining a credit rating

Recommended for: Treasurer, President, Vice President, New

Member Educator, Scholarship

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Session 1 & Session 2 Continued...

Secret Rituals, Public Taglines: What they say, mean,

and how they inform our choices

Cara Sutcliffe

BALLROOM B

Attendees will leave this session having thought about what their

organization's ritual and tagline leads others to expect of them as

members and what those expressions of Greek values mean in

their daily lives.

Recommended for: Ritual Chair, Standards/Judicial, President,

Vice President

Recruitment 101

Ryan Armstrong

BALLROOM A

This program will discuss the systems and practices needed to

have an effective recruitment committee all year. Topics dis-

cussed will be organizational methods, key performance indica-

tors, and conversation strategy.

Recommended for: Recruitment, Membership, President

Social Media

Michelle Stepp

PARLIAMENTARY ROOM

Both your personal and organization’s brand and reputation are

everything. Don’t blow it on a 2 second tweet! Learn more

about using social media to benefit you and your organization’s

image. Have a conversation with a member of MTSU’s social me-

dia team about where they are, what they see and where it may

or may not take you.

Recommended for: Community Relations, Public Relations

8

Session 1 & Session 2 Continued... Bystander Intervention

Barbara Scales

BALLROOM E

You are at a party. During the past hour you notice one of your

male friends has been talking to a young woman. They seem to

be having a good time but it is clear that the woman has had

too much to drink. At one point your friend walks by you and you

hear him say he is just going to get her “one more” and “that

should be enough.” A few minutes later you see him put his arm

around the young woman and start to lead her upstairs. What do

you do? This interactive session will give you tools to STEP UP and

SPEAK OUT after all It's On Us. Come learn how to be an active 3-

D bystander.

Recommended for: New Member Educator, Membership,

President, Risk Manager, Standards/Judicial

Accountability: Not Easy but Necessary

Austin Arias

SUB THEATRE

Holding you membership accountable is essential in ensuring that your

organization can grow and prosper. But this isn’t always easy. Your mem-

bers are your closest friends. This session will highlights ways you elevate

your peers and organization to a higher standard, while still maintaining

a balanced relationship between friend and officer.

Recommended for: President, Vice President, New Member

Educator, Standards/Judicial, Scholarship

9

Session 3 & Session 4 Building On Success

Ryan Armstrong

SUB 221

This program addresses important topics related to officer transi-

tion and the definition of different leadership roles within a chap-

ter. Participants will gain a better understanding of transition strat-

egies and delegation of responsibility.

Recommended for: All Council Members

Because I know you - the value of Brother-

hood/Sisterhood

Megan Carter

SUB 224

Strong relationships are at the core of the fraternity/sorority expe-

rience. Participants will share ideas to foster strong chapter rela-

tionships, explore the value of brotherhood/sisterhood in chapter

success, and identify ways to overcome the challenges of teach-

ing this critical core value.

Recommended for: Membership, Social, Risk Management

Philanthropy and Community Service

Britt Pettigrew

BALLROOM A

We will discuss ways community service can: develop chapter

leadership, character, community, & values; be a powerful way

to build MTSU Greek life by exposing non-Greek students to one

of the true hearts of Greek life; transform the community (as well

as those that participate); and also hear about some of the

unique & fulfilling local areas to serve.

Recommended for: Philanthropy, Community Service, Member-

ship, Community Relations, Public Relations

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Session 3 & Session 4 Continued... Think Outside the Greek

Jackie Victory ft. October Henson

BALLROOM B

What image does your chapter have when it comes to relation-

ships on campus? In this session members of the Greek communi-

ty will learn why it is important to build relationships across cam-

pus. Students will be challenged to think outside of their organi-

zations to garner partnerships that will strengthen their chapters

and the Greek community.

Recommended for: New Member Educator, Member Develop-

ment, Recruitment, President, Vice President

Sexual Assault 101, Consent, and Bystander Interven-

tion

Michael Ayalon

BALLROOM D

Utilize the Greek Community to provide leadership, develop a

peer education approach, increase campus awareness of re-

sources available, develop a campus culturally sensitive cam-

paign for consent or bystander intervention, and educators

should know the steps to responding to survivors

Recommended for: President, Vice President, Standards/Judicial,

Risk Management

Alcohol: Knowing the Limits

Austin Arias

SUB THEATRE

As an officer, you are responsible for working towards a healthy

organization. This includes emphasizing safe behaviors when it

comes to alcohol. In this session, we will tackle topics like alcohol

consumption, knowing limits, signs of alcohol abuse and how to

address unsafe behavior in your chapter.

Recommended for: Risk Management, President, Vice President,

Social

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Session 3 & Session 4 Continued... Personal Branding/Leadership on a Resume

Dr. Janet McCormick

BALLROOM E

Helpful tips and advice regarding key communication aspects of

interview preparation, execution and follow-up including such

topics as: company research, resumes, cover letters, salary nego-

tiation, networking, and more! During this interactive session, par-

ticipants will have the opportunity to express job/internship seek-

ing concerns, to gain support and direction from a well-

established career guidance specialist, to showcase

skills/experiences gained from their leadership positions and to

motivate peers toward greater self-confidence in achieving ca-

reer goals.

Recommended for: All Council Members

How to Utilize Your Governing Council

James Crawford

PARLIAMENTARY ROOM

Attendees should be willing and able to discuss current tech-

niques they use to utilize their council effectively and what they

would want out of an effective council relationship. Attendees

should expect to brainstorm ways in which they can work in a

cohesive manner with their council.

Recommended for: President, Vice President, Treasurer

12

Facilitator Bios Michael Ayalon is a successful business owner

and seasoned executive with a proven track rec-

ord of growing companies. In July of 2012, Michael

became the 7th Executive Director of Sigma Pi Fra-

ternity International, which was founded in 1897.

Michael is responsible for the effective administra-

tion of the International Fraternity with over 125

chapters and 78,000 living members from its head-

quarters in Lebanon, TN. Sigma Pi initiated their

100,000th member in March of 2014. His focus is to provide training, guid-

ance and innovative opportunities for leadership, social, academic, and

personal development.

Prior to joining Sigma Pi, Michael was the Chief Executive Officer and

Founder of an industry leading website design and search engine optimi-

zation company in New York with employees all over the world. Prior to

that, he was the Director of Finance for a $25M global Cisco Premier Part-

ner with offices in New York City, Amsterdam, and Bangalore. Michael's

key accomplishments include identifying and implementing cutting edge

technologies to produce better reporting, greater transparency, and

more efficiency to these organizations.

In November of 2014, Sigma Pi Fraternity purchased the historic Mitchell

House in Lebanon, TN as their new headquarters. This mansion built in

1906 was used by Castle Heights Military Academy from 1936 – 1986, and

then was used from 1997 – 2013 as the Cracker Barrel Headquarters. Mi-

chael lives in Franklin, TN with his wife Jennifer and their two children.

Connect with Michael on twitter - @SigmaPiExec

Megan Carter is a native of Murfreesboro, and

has a B.S. and M.S.T. from MTSU. She has been a

member of Alpha Delta Pi since 1977. Yes, she is

old, but she is also an excellent example of how

the fraternity/sorority experience can impact your

life, throughout your life.

Megan served her chapter as Finance and Chapter Advisor for 20

years. She currently serves as a Total Membership Education Di-

rector for District 2 (Tennessee, Kentucky, North and South Caroli-

na), overseeing New Member Educators. She is married with two

teenage boys.

Connect with Megan on Twitter - @Megan_C1851

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Facilitator Bios Austin Arias currently serves as the Assistant

Dean of Students at The University of Tennessee

at Chattanooga. In his role, Austin has the privi-

lege of working with the campus programming

board, student organizations and large scale

campus traditions. Previous to UTC, Austin was at

Illinois State University where he received his Mas-

ter of Science degree in higher education in 2013

and served as the graduate assistant for student

programming from 2011 - 2013. Austin received his Bachelor of Arts de-

gree in Mass Communications from the University of South Florida St. Pe-

tersburg in 2011. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Austin is proud brother of

Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity and actively serves the organization as a risk

management educator.

Connect with Austin on Twitter - @AustinArias.

Dr. Janet K McCormick earned her Bachelor

and Master degree’s in Speech Communication

from Eastern Illinois University and her Ph. D. in

Communication from Southern Illinois University at

Carbondale. She taught at Spalding University in

Louisville, Kentucky before spending 8 years

teaching abroad in London, Buenos Aires, and

Singapore. She joined MTSU in 2002 as an Intercul-

tural Communication Specialist and is the recipient of the

“Outstanding Teacher Award”, the “Outstanding Faculty Mentor

Award”, the “Outstanding Academic Advisor Award” and the

“Distinguished Educator in Distance Learning Award” for the rap-

idly growing Organizational Communication major/minor at

MTSU. Dr. McCormick conducts experiential Communication

Training Seminars regionally on such subjects as Intercultural

Communication, Gender and Communication and Leadership

and presents regularly at national and state conferences on such

topics as best practices in teaching through experiential learning

assignments, professional development through hands on train-

ing activities, application and assessment of effective leadership

and communication skills using personal reflection.

14

Facilitator Bios Michelle Stepp serves as Associate Director

in the office of Alumni Relations at MTSU. Dur-

ing her 16 years at MTSU, she's organized eve-

rything from alumni chapters to awards pro-

grams to Homecoming, and scholarships. She

was the lead event planner for the MTSU Cen-

tennial Gala hosting 1200 alumni and

friends. She has been the advisor for Sigma Nu

fraternity, Order of Omega and other student groups and is cur-

rently advising the MTSU Student Ambassadors. She is responsible

for communication including the alumni website and is a member

of MTSU’s social media team. Personally, she is a national officer

for Sigma Kappa sorority focusing on public relations and social

media. She is a former lifestyle blogger where she worked on so-

cial media and Pinterest strategy with brands such as Hershey’s,

3M, Cheerios, Tiny Prints, Shutterfly, Party City, etc.

Connect with Michelle on Twitter - @MichelleBStepp

James Crawford is a graduate of the Uni-

versity of North Carolina- Wilmington with a

degree in Athletic Training and is a member of

The Delta Chi Fraternity. As an undergraduate,

he served as a Founding Father, Vice President

for two years, President for one year, and

served on many committees of the Wilmington

Chapter. Additional campus involvement ex-

periences ranged from being peer mentor,

Resident Assistant, Men’s 1in4 program member, and many more.

After graduating, he spent the year applying to graduate schools

trying to decide between entering the medical field or higher ed-

ucation while gaining work experience. He then decided to at-

tend the University of South Carolina to earn his Master's of Educa-

tion while serving in their Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life as a

graduate assistant. James now currently serves a Coordinator of

Greek Life at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN working with the

Interfraternity Council, the IFC membership organizations, and

serving on committees within the Dean of Students. In his spare

time he likes to read, build things, hang out with his girlfriend and

dog, and explore around Tennessee.

Connect with James on Twitter - @Padfoot20

15

Facilitator Bios Ryan Armstrong graduated from the University

of Iowa in 2012 with a Bachelors of Arts in Commu-

nication Studies. He immediately began working on

the Sigma Pi Fraternity Staff. He travelled for a year

as an Educational Leadership Consultant for the

Southern Region before accepting a position as an

Expansion Consultant, during which time he assist-

ed in the recruitment and colonization of new

groups at the university of South Florida and the

University of San Diego. He currently works as Direc-

tor of Expansion for the fraternity, identifying and

securing new growth projects and managing the expansion staff."

Connect with Ryan on Twitter - @ryandarmstrong

Barbara Scales has 18 years of social welfare

and adult learning experience; currently, Barbara

is the Director of the June Anderson Center for

Women & Nontraditional Students at Middle Ten-

nessee State University. Barbara holds a Bachelor

of Arts in Psychology/Sociology and a Master of

Arts in Education and Counseling and is currently

working on her Ed.D in Learning and Leadership at

the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.

Barbara is a devoted wife to her husband of 11

years and loving mother to her 8-year-old son,

Isaiah. Her first passion is bringing awareness and educating others on

Social Welfare; secondly, is helping people “define their destiny and de-

velop their purpose”, and discovery their potential. Barbara’s motto in

life is, "Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words;

they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch

your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes

your destiny.”

Connect with Barbara on Twitter - @LadyB_04

Britt Pettigrew has served college students for

20 years with CRU. He weekly speaks at IFC on

leadership and comes alongside Greek students

& chapters that seek growth in areas of leader-

ship, personal, and spiritual development.

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Facilitator Bios Cara Ballard Sutcliffe has served Pi Beta Phi

as Grand Vice President Collegians since 2011. Her

chapter of initiation is Illinois Beta-Delta at Knox

College in Galesburg, IL. Cara holds a Bachelor of

Arts in biology and a Master of Science from Bay-

lor College of Medicine in human and molecular

genetics. She works at Vanderbilt University Medi-

cal Center as the manager of VANTAGE, Vander-

bilt Technologies for Advanced Genomics.

Don R. Anderson is the Director of Finance for

Sigma Pi Fraternity International, Inc. Don earned

a BBA in Management and MS in Accounting and

Information Systems from MTSU and an MBA from

Trevecca Nazarene University. He is a Certified

Public Accountant and Registered Accounting

Firm in Tennessee. He is an alumnus of Tennessee

Tau Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity; a

Past Master and Secretary of Doric Masonic

Lodge 732 in Nashville; and a Knight Commander

of the Court of Honour of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Jackie Victory is the Director of Student Or-

ganizations and Service at Middle Tennessee State

University, within the umbrella of the Center for

Student Involvement and Leadership, and over-

seas all student organizations that are officially

recognized by campus. She obtained her Bache-

lors of Business Administration with focuses on Mar-

keting and Marketing Management from the Uni-

versity of Tennessee at Martin, and her Masters of

Science in Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies

from Middle Tennessee State University.

Connect with Jackie on Twitter - @mtsuleadserve

Connect with Toby on Twitter - @OctoberHenson

17

18

Notes

19

Notes

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Allison Commings, Director

Allison.Commings@mtsu.edu

Donald Abels, Coordinator

Donald.Abels@mtsu.edu

Colin Blouin, Program Assistant

greeks@mtsu.edu

Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life www.mtsu.edu/fsl

greeks@mtsu.edu

Thank You

We want to thank David Westol and all of our facilitators for

being a part of this event! We also want to thank our IFC,

NPHC, and Panhellenic executive officers who helped the

event run smoothly. Finally, we want to thank all the chap-

ter officers in attendance. We hope you received valuable

information and practical suggestions that you can use in

your leadership role to promote growth in all aspects of

chapter life.