A Recap of the 2022 Leadership Summit

Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity held its 2022 Leadership Summit in San Antonio, Texas, from July 15th - 17th.

The weekend consisted of leadership meetings, breakout sessions, an exemplification of our ritual, and much more at the Hilton Palacio del Rio!

A special reception was hosted by the PKT Alamo Alumni Association at the Tower of Americas in downtown San Antonio to honor Manny González (Texas A&I University, ’82), who was honored as the 2022 Man of Achievement at our Saturday evening banquet.

““My mind and my heart are still trying to process what occurred that weekend. I have been blessed with my wonderful Lucinda, my loving daughters, friends, and my career, but I honestly underestimated what fraternal brotherhood has meant to my life. It is my core, it is my compass, and it is who I am. To be recognized as “Man of Achievement” by these wonderful men I call my brothers was exceptionally meaningful and truly validated the pillars of our brotherhood, which we proudly call Phi Kappa Theta.””

— 2022 Man of Achievement, Manny González (Texas A&I University, '82)

Current and former National Fraternity presidents proudly stand next to Brother González (center).

In addition to honoring Brother González, attendees recognized the efforts of our collegiate chapters with awards for the 2021 - 2022 academic year during a luncheon.

We interviewed Pritish Mishra (Case Western Reserve University, ‘23) and Alexander Laitinen (Bridgewater State University, ‘23) to highlight the attendee experience from a collegiate perspective.

What was your overall impression of the Leadership Summit? 

Pritish Mishra:
Since this was my first time going, I did not have any set expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. I think of my chapter as a group of close and honest brothers. All the events we had during the summit reflected that aspect of our brotherhood.  

Regarding the event, I liked the discussions on why we exist as an organization. I think it is essential to have those conversations. We also had an honest and open-minded conversation about what diversity means to us as a national organization, fraternity, and brotherhood. That conversation was also highly appropriate because it revealed the brother’s feelings and what they thought was important. 

It was nice meeting all the new people from all different walks of life. 

The biggest and the best experience I had, was conversing with other brothers and their families. I did not expect everyone to be so forthcoming, honest, and friendly. When you talk at a chapter level, you know everything. But at a national level, it is different. Before, I was intimidated by the board and national staff. But when attending the summit, I talked to the current and past presidents and realized they are brothers first, and we are all on the same level. It humanizes them a lot, and I think that is very important.

Alexander Laitinen:
Being from a Massachusetts chapter, I had never ventured out to San Antonio. I didn’t know what to expect regarding how those at nationals would receive me. Once I got there, I realized that even though my other brothers were older than me, we still had mutual respect for everyone, and we all enjoyed getting to know one another. 

What was your biggest takeaway? 

Pritish Mishra:
I would split this into three parts. First, It is essential to remember where we come from and never forget our roots. The second is always to be open-minded when working in a team. You have the potential to learn something new from everyone. The third piece is to be kind to everyone. You don’t know where they come from regarding why they do what they do. When you are kind, sometimes the best of someone comes out, which you will always cherish. 

Alexander Laitinen:  
It can feel like those at nationals are distant, and we don’t always know if our beliefs are the same as theirs. After attending the Summit, I could see how much those at nationals do care. Seeing how they spoke and carried themselves showed that we are on the same page, and at the end of the day, we are all Phi Kaps. Everyone up top cares the same as everyone below. 

What advice would you give to someone if you knew that they were contemplating going to a national event next year? 

Pritish Mishra:
My honest advice is to go for it. I was the only one from my chapter attending.

Surprisingly, I found out that one of the former [National Fraternity] presidents [Robert Stalder from Case Western Reserve University, ‘94] was from my chapter, and I would not have found that out if I had not gone. I met so many new people and made so many new friends. I still am in regular contact with many of the people I met. We only interacted in the span of two days. If I can form that bond with brothers so different from me in two days, it shows the benefit of attending. Just do it! 

It was something I will cherish for the rest of my life, and I will plan to attend the next national event. I think for my chapter, this will be highly beneficial, and it will help us grow and have more conversations about who we are and help us continue growing a stronger bond. I will always be grateful for having this opportunity, and I will encourage future leaders to come to this in the future.

Alexander Laitinen: 
Find why you love Phi kappa Theta and take that with you. 

Figure out what you want from Phi Kappa Theta and choose to attend the Summit [or any other upcoming national event] for that reason. It will help you get the most out of your Fraternity experience. 

““I always enjoy attending Phi Kappa Theta’s annual summer meeting - this Leadership Summit included - as it’s one of the few times a year we’re able to gather and experience what it means to be part of a nationally shared Phi Kap brotherhood. Our discussions over the weekend, both business and society alike, were energized, thoughtful, and inclusive. The  Summit was a fantastic reminder of how blessed our Fraternity is to have many alumni volunteers who consistently dedicate themselves to enriching the next generation of brothers in the Phi, the Kappa, and the Theta. That is why it was so fitting that the culmination of the weekend was honoring brother Manny González, one of the most humble, kind, and generous members of our order, with the Fraternity’s highest honor: the Man of Achievement award!” ”

— National Fraternity President, Matthew Runkle (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, '11)

If you attended this year’s Leadership Summit, you know how beneficial it is to connect with brothers from around the country and contribute to discussions that are guiding the Fraternity into the future.

The connection between alumni and collegiate members is always important, and we encourage you to continue making those connections whenever possible.

For those who couldn’t make it to the Summit – we hope to see you at our Biennial Convention in 2023!

Servant Leadership Summit 2018

When collegiate members of Phi Kappa Theta think of the National Fraternity, they often picture the four or five staff members who work at the National Office in Indianapolis, according to Robert Riggs, CAE, Executive Vice President.

“In reality, the Fraternity is comprised of all 52,000 alumni spread across the United States,” says Riggs.

The Servant Leadership Summit has been organized to figure out how to match passionate alumni with chapters needing specific guidance and that critical personal touch to improve performance to fulfill the Fraternity motto to “give expecting nothing thereof.”

The 2018 Summit will continue to identify, recruit, train and support performance coaches as a way to directly mentor/coach our chapters in operations, recruitment and development (five areas of development) culture.

Riggs said in 2017 various student and alumni leadership groups came together for a day to build a matrix and criteria to prioritize which chapters needed assistance and in what particular areas that service could be provided.

Some of the areas examined include operations, financial stability, recruitment, structure and the development of leadership qualities to serve the mission. Eventually, alumni coaches, talented in specific areas, will be dispatched to various campuses and chapters to help chapters accomplish their goals and improve in specific areas.

“We brainstormed some new ideas for how we can help chapters increase their value and lower their risk, maintaining operational excellence,” says Steve Bye, (University of Wisconsin-Madison, ‘16), who attended the pilot program in 2017. He adds that he appreciated the opportunity to examine the role that alums can play in this initiative. “It was great to network with other alumni, to learn how they’re organized and how their chapters are doing.”

One of the primary purposes of the initiative, according to Riggs, is to identify and renew alumni who have not volunteered previously, with the recognition that they provide the best example of exactly what the Fraternity means through their example of service and commitment to ideals. Establishing a bond with specific alumni coaches not only helps that particular chapter, but also connects the coaches directly with students and their needs.

“It was very enlightening and encouraging,” said Adrian Gonzalez, Fraternity President, (University of Texas at Austin, ‘78). “It gave us the opportunity to really look at where we are going as an institution.” Seeing all the fresh faces with fresh ideas helped him recognize “that we are heading in the right direction.”

Discover more about becoming a Servant Leader: www.phikaps.org/alumni