Recharge at the International Leadership Conference
The 2006 International Leadership Conference promises to be a powerhouse event filled with enough energy to ignite your region!
Regional Coordinators and regional officers may attend this event, scheduled for the first two weekends in August. The International Leadership Conference for Divisions II and III will be held August 3-6 at Phi Theta Kappa's Center for Excellence in Jackson, Mississippi. Divisions I and IV are invited to attend August 10-13.
Dave Arter, Rocky Mountain-Cascade Regional Coordinator, believes attending regional officers better appreciate and understand Society opportunities. "We used to conduct our own orientation for incoming regional officers, but the International Leadership Conference is far better. Regional officers get a real sense that they are part of something much larger than just their chapters and their region. Attendees become an extended team of officers, representing all regions in our division. And they leave the International Leadership Conference the same way officers and members leave all of Phi Theta Kappa's international events - fired up and anxious to get started!
"The conference is just as valuable for Regional Coordinators," Arter continued. "The opportunity to join in extended discussions with the Headquarters Staff on a variety of topics without distractions has made both groups more effective, and in the last few years has contributed to a number of initiatives that have significantly lightened the workload of Phi Theta Kappa's corps of advisors."
Regional officers will have an opportunity to network with one another and gain valuable information on Phi Theta Kappa programs and initiatives. The event will begin on Thursday at 4:00 pm and end Saturday evening, and includes a tour of Canton, Mississippi, longtime home of the Society Headquarters.
Jessica Arends, 2005-06 Southwest District Vice President for the Iowa Region, says that attending the 2005 conference gave her a new understanding of the Society's purpose. "The light bulb came on for me at International Headquarters. When I became a regional officer I had an idea about the mission and programs of Phi Theta Kappa, but the International Leadership Conference put it all together. After being there, you understand what Phi Theta Kappa is all about."
Jessica attended the International Leadership Conference with the entire Iowa regional officer team, which recently received the Distinguished Regional Officer Team Award, one of only three awarded at the International Convention in Seattle, Washington.
If you are currently serving as a regional officer, please contact Regional Officer Coordinator Faye Christian at 601.984.3530 for details on how you can be part of this explosive event!
