President’s Blog

The National President and Executive Director Collaboration

Sep 18, 2018 | Categories: Announcements, Blog

TraceyLiphardtHello, Sisters! Co-writing my inaugural President’s Blog is Kathryn (Katie) Hartmann, our new Executive Director (ED).

Why is Katie co-writing the President’s Blog with me, you ask?

Because we work together to ensure a healthy, functional organization, overseeing all organizational operations and improving our business practices all in an effort to improve the membership experience. Click here for more information on how Katie and our staff work collaboratively with me and the Grand Council to achieve those aims.*

While we are both new to our jobs, we bring our many experiences and transferable skills with us. I, Tracey, have been managing people for 18 years in the automotive industry and have held many different jobs in Theta Phi Alpha for over 20 years, most recently as National Parliamentarian and National Housing Corporation President.

Katie has worked professionally in a number of roles in higher education, including but not limited to fraternity and sorority life, new student orientation, and residence life. Most recently, Katie was the Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Pace University before becoming our ED and is currently a board member for the Northeast Greek Leadership Association. Katie has also served as a National Officer for Theta Phi Alpha for over a decade, most recently as our National Vice President-Collegians.

With the support of the Grand Council, my job as National President is to develop a strategic plan and policies; oversee our programs, services, and financial resources; facilitate Grand Council meetings, including board development; and to oversee the work of our volunteers, National Officers, and our ED.

As ED, and with the support of our National Office Staff, Katie’s job is to work collaboratively with the Grand Council and carry out our mission and strategic plan; evaluate the effectiveness of our programs and services; ensure compliance with financial policies and budgets; assist in board development and participate in Grand Council meetings; and to manage the work of National Office Staff.

Together, we have a weekly standing meeting with the National Executive Secretary. Outside of that meeting, there are many emails, texts and phone calls to ensure we are on the same page and up to speed on the major events of Theta Phi Alpha and the fraternal world. We need to be on the lookout for potential issues and mitigate risk for the organization and always working to maintain and improve the resources we have available to us. We cover topics ranging from federal and state employment regulations to requests from the National Panhellenic Conference, to internal process improvements and much, much more.

We both also serve as spokespersons for Theta Phi Alpha to the public, the National Panhellenic Conference, and institutions of higher education. We also interface with the Theta Phi Alpha Foundation and the Board of Trustees in order to work most effectively together rather than duplicating efforts in support of Theta Phi Alpha.

It doesn’t sound all that exciting, does it?  Good. We’re committed to a smooth-flowing biennium and great things for Theta Phi Alpha, made possible by a strong partnership between the Grand Council and National Office Staff.

We appreciate your support!

*Note: While our National Constitution and Bylaws says the National President “shall be chief executive of the fraternity,” it is not uncommon for an ED to be referred to as the chief executive in other non-profit organizations, which is reflected in the resource provided here.