News

What’s the National Council Up To?

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Brothers of Kappa Kappa Psi,

Before I get into my National Council update, the Chapter Personnel Report is due in a few days, September 30th. Be sure you have it and dues submitted by then if you don’t want your chapter to incur a late fee! Call HQ with any questions you have, as they are ready and willing to help you in any way they can. They can be reached at 405-372-2333. HQ is open Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm central time.

With that reminder out of the way, last week your National Council met for the first of our monthly check-ins for this school year. During the call, each officer gave a brief update on the work they have been tackling over the past few months. These calls are largely informal, and serve as a way to stay connected and focused.

– Jack Lee, National President, gave us an update about some of the ongoing work he is doing in relation to planning for the biennium including work on the Leadership Development Initiative. He also gave us an update on some ongoing conversations regarding higher education funding as it relates to our chapters and the Director of Band/Sponsor structure we utilize on campuses across the country.

– Evan Thompson, National Vice President for Colonization and Membership, has been working hard with the current colonies at Alabama A&M University and University of Texas at El Paso. He has also been working with the curriculum committee and the pilot schools who are using the work the committee has put forth during the membership education processes this fall.

– Marco Kcratovich, National Vice President for Programs, has been working on coordinating awards presentations for the fall. He has also been working to promote awards submissions and upcoming programs along with coordinating updates to the website with National Headquarters.

– I, myself, your National Vice President for Student Affairs have been putting a lot of effort into the Fraternity’s podcast Kappa Kappa Psi Presents. As of today, 12 episodes have been released and you can find them wherever you go to listen to podcasts. It is exciting to see the growth in listeners over the past few weeks. I have also been working with your district leaders, beginning with the establishment of regular meetings of the Student Advisory Committee. This committee is made up of current elected district officers. The conversations have been excellent and I look forward to tackling some of the pressing issues facing our membership this year.

– Your National Vice President for Professional Relations, Dr. Doug Stotter, has been putting in a lot of work in preparation for the upcoming National Intercollegiate Band that will happen at our National Convention in Orlando, Florida in July 2017 in coordination with Beth Bronk, Tau Beta Sigma’s National Vice President for Professional Relations.

– Board of Trustees Vice Chair, Adam Cantley reported that the board’s upcoming Life Membership Drive (which happened on Friday, September 23rd) was being promoted across all platforms. He also gave an brief update on the ongoing work of the board.

– Alison Beidler, the Chair of the Alumni Board of Directors reported on the status of the board and the ongoing work being done in coordination with local alumni groups across the country. Currently they are in a reporting phase of their own and things are proceeding smoothly.

As always, if you have any questions regarding the National Council or work being done on the national level, please don’t hesitate to ask! I am here to help and I always look forward to chatting with you. You can reach my at zac@kkpsi.org.

Keep Striving!
Zac Humphrey, National Vice President for Student Affairs

Boh’s Birthday Bash Announcement

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Brothers,

Tomorrow would have been the 138th birthday of the Guiding Spirit of Kappa Kappa Psi, Bohumil Makovsky.  Help us celebrate the guidance and support that Boh provided to our founding fathers and the fraternity as a whole through his service as a band director, National Council member and member of the Board of Trustees by purchasing a Life Membership in his honor. To recognize this special day, Kappa Kappa Psi is reducing the cost of our Life Membership by 20% for one day only. Benefits of Life Membership include:

  • 1.       Access to Kappa Kappa Psi Events and Conventions
  • 2.       Free Annual Membership in the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association
  • 3.       A subscription to the Podium
  • 4.       Your personal life membership number, card, shingle, and pin

Through your purchase of life membership, you are also donating to the Kappa Kappa Psi Trust Fund. This fund ensures the success of programs such as our National Intercollegiate Band. Any Alumni in good standing or Honorary member is eligible to receive Life Membership. Seniors in their last year of active membership may also purchase Life Membership. Already have a life Membership?  Life Membership can also be purchased as gift for another eligible brother.

To purchase your life membership please visit http://www.kkpsi.org/life-membership-2/ tomorrow.

This reduced price will only be available from midnight to midnight (Central Daylight Time) on September 23rd, and can only be purchased online. Paper forms will not be eligible for the reduced price. If you have questions, please contact our National Headquarters at 1-800-543-6505.

Melbern Nixon, past National President and former student of Boh’s recalls the influence Boh had on his students and in having higher goals, “… I think this is partly where Kappa Kappa Psi comes in.  As these members observed him morning after morning in band rehearsal, they began to grasp that these things, all put together, formed a philosophy, and that philosophy of Boh’s became Kappa Kappa Psi.  It is very evident in the initiation ceremony…That’s why people like A. Frank Martin, Scroggs, and others grasped Boh’s philosophies and put them together in the form of an organization.”  Show that you share a commitment to Boh’s philosophies by becoming a Life Member of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Happy Birthday Boh and AEA,
Kappa Kappa Psi Leadership

—–

Founded in 1919 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Kappa Kappa Psi is the leading fraternity solely dedicated to supporting and developing college and university band programs. Kappa Kappa Psi has affiliation with over 210 college and university campuses across the United States of America. Guided by our values, mission and ritual, Kappa Kappa Psi is purposefully working towards our vision; With a dedicated spirit of unity and cooperation, we are unequivocally committed to become the world standard of excellence for band fraternal organizations. Collectively, Kappa Kappa Psi members are inspiring one another and all college band members to Strive for the Highest.

Student Advisory Committee September 2016 Report

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Brothers,

Below you will find an outline of what took place during the September Student Advisory Committee meeting on September 11, 2016. Notes for the meeting were taken by Sarah Person from the MWD. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. You can reach me at zac@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at StudentAdvisory@kkpsi.org.

Keep Striving!
Zac

—September SAC – Minutes 9/11/2016—

  • Introduction/Attendance
    • Midwest: Sarah Person – Secretary/Treasurer
    • Western: no representative
    • North Central: Abigail Johnson – VPM
    • North East: Helen Landers – HAAL & Shanon Rubin – VP
    • Southeast: Evan Schlameuss – VPP
    • Southwest: Arjun Jeetan – MAL
  • District Updates
    • Midwest: District Day at CU Boulder – Mountain themed with focus being on goal setting and planning
    • Western: n/a
    • North Central: Work on planning and logistics for member education retreat!
    • North East: District planning, trying to set up KKPsi and TBS meeting times. District promoting pictures!
    • Southeast: Psi 85, bring the chapters along route 85. Planning for the year and prepping for an upcoming council meeting. Working on side projects and with district VP’s.
    • Southwest: Selected team for the Alto (Newsletter). Have more articles that aren’t convention themed. Working on new ‘Badges for brotherhood”. Little badges for the different chapters for making different tasks. Had to CLC’s – east and west. Looking to have it in the north and the south next year to have it more balanced. Working on speakers for conventions, schools for workshops, service event (Penny drive), etc. New colony at University of Texas El Paso
  • SAC Topic #1: What do DOs/students want to get out of the SAC?
    • SAC Overview
      • Year-long SAC aims toward providing a way to get input and have a greater student voice
        • Email the SAC email with things that come up!
      • Shannon – Committee is most beneficial when we are all in contact with each other – also bring student voices up to the national level
      • Providing opportunities for them to question programs
        • Look into talking to Marco to try and get more of the programs broken down in ways that are easy to understand and apply for
        • Use social media more to get the news out there
          • Put out more announcements for “ask me questions” reminders
        • Sometimes saying “Come to me with your questions comments and concerns” is very vague and can be hard to get interaction that way
  • National Council Updates
    • Jack has been working on getting committees set up for National Convention
      • Nominations committee will be set by the middle of October
      • Ritual Performance and Education Committee
        • This committee will…
          • Work on recommendations for ritual logistics
          • Provide clarifications and suggestions
          • Provide CMEP kinds of things that will tie into the national curriculum
        • Next National Council meeting on the 20th of Sept.
          • If you have any questions you would like to be brought up send them to Zac (zac@kkpsi.org)
        • National MEP Curriculum is being cleaned up
          • National Headquarters is being cleaned out to be rented
            • An exciting opportunity for revenue to the nationals
            • Doing a lot of upgrades to the building from the citiy!
        • Podcasts are live!
          • Weekly on Tuesday mornings
          • Listen to them! Spread the word!
          • Send Zac your genuine comments! Good or bad.
          • Zac wants to interview national award winners in the future. He is scheduling interviews with these winners.
            • One episode a semester to provide recognitions to winners
          • Wants to provide more workshop based episodes once the get to know the national leadership episodes are finished.
          • Arjun’s podcast suggestion: Podcast on each of the district conventions as they are having
            • See the differences between the districts
            • Zac wants to do ‘Story Corps’ like bits during convention
            • Also wants to do convention recaps
        • Life membership drive on September 23rd
          • Discounted life memberships – spread the word
          • Zac will send a flyer out to everyone on SAC to spread the word
        • National Student Awards
          • Spread awareness how these awards are picked
          • Looking to have student becoming a part of the selection process
          • Keep your eyes out for potentials of these awards
          • Have questions? Marco (VPP) would be happy to talk as well as any National Officers
  • District Feedback/Concerns
    • Arjun – Lack of participation in student awards, specifically AEA scholarship and J. Lee Burke Student Achievement Award. As District officers try to spread the word about these awards so there is a bigger pool of applicants.
      • Bring more awareness – Zac will work with Robert at HQ to come up with flyers or things to spread on social media
      • Marco’s work putting it on the website is helpful – now it is on District Officers to spread the word
      • Moving forward look into ways to help the District Officers put the word out there
  • SAC Topic #2: What would you like to see the Ritual Performance and Education Committee do?
    • Due to the sensitive nature of this topic, a complete account of this part of the conversation will not be shared here. If you would like to get a record of what was discussed, you can contact Zac Humphrey, VPSA (zac@kkpsi.org) for that information.
    • The first meeting of this new committee will take place on September 25th, 2016 at 8pm ET. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns, please send them to Zac.
  • Announcements and Wrap up
    • Give the national council your perspective!
      • Nationals want your honest input both good and bad!
      • Don’t hesitate to bring your frustrations to Zac or others on the council
      • Everyone wants you to be having fun as a member of the district council, but if you have them bring your concerns to someone

National Council Connects – August 2016

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Brothers:

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! The National Council is looking forward to an outstanding year of promoting and advancing college/university bands through musicianship, leadership, and service.

As we move closer to the 2017 National Convention in Orlando, the National Council will begin monthly communication with all members, directors, and sponsors providing important updates and information regarding fraternity business, committees, proposals, and the National Intercollegiate Band. The council will also provide general updates on programming, deadlines, and district events and recognize excellence within our chapters and membership.

As your National Vice President for Colonization & Membership, I will be sharing updates and information with you regarding our colonization/expansion program and the CFRs.

Colonization/Expansion

I would like to welcome our two newest colonies. They have already started the colonization process and should be done in November.

Please send a note of welcome and congratulations to these outstanding band members! Many thanks to SED Governor Tron Hunter and SWD Governor Clint Wieden for serving as colony advisors for this cycle.

Chapter Field Representatives

Alaina Peters and Justin Chesak are busy preparing for their first visits as CFRs. Please welcome them to your chapters this fall and learn all you can to make your chapter the best it can be. Visit http://www.kkpsi.org/about/leadership/chapter-field-representative/ to access their schedule and contact information. Best of luck to Alaina and Justin as they hit the road!

Five Effective Ways to Recruit New Brothers

Live our values. This may seem cliché and overused in the college and fraternity world, but it continues to be said because it is true. Individuals are attracted to organizations with great people and great ideas. Kappa Kappa Psi promotes and advances college/university bands through musicianship, leadership, and service—your band members need to see you engaged in this work all the time. Our fraternity’s ritual calls us to become better band members and leaders. By treating our fellow band members with kindness and boosting morale, we become an invaluable part of the band program.

Build a strong professional relationship with your band directors. One of your greatest assets in the recruitment process is your band faculty and staff. Seek their advice on recruiting outstanding band members and discuss ways your chapter can help develop the future leaders of the program. It requires hard work, but every chapter is capable of building the trust and respect needed for excellence in membership selection. Including your directors and staff in the recruitment process gives them information they need to support your membership efforts and encourage band members to participate.

Create unique recruitment events and experiences. It is easy to organize a meeting at the band hall or in an empty classroom. Offer free food and you’ve got some folks hooked. While these meetings can be useful to disseminate important information, younger generations are requiring more engaging activities and meaningful dialogue regarding who we are and what we stand for. Your recruitment week and/or other events need to reflect what it means to be a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi and what the fraternity offers new members as they begin thinking about their future. You can share requirements and information about membership. Unfortunately, you won’t build passion and excitement unless potential members get an opportunity to experience it. Show potential members what it means to be a Brother and allow them to share in your service.

Market your chapter on social media and campus. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. They work extremely well. Create accounts and assign an officer(s) to make updates and share posts. Make sure you are following and mentioning your band’s accounts when chapter accounts are updated. Get involved on campus as well. Participate in homecoming festivities; form pep bands (with director permission) to travel around campus; organize band lunches in between classes. Allow band members to see you outside of rehearsal and contributing to campus life.

Seek out outstanding band members. Recruitment is about searching for and identifying your future leaders and brothers. While the recruitment process should be inclusive and welcoming to all eligible band members, many chapters wait for band members to show interest in the fraternity but never reach out to individuals that are truly outstanding. Reaching out in a personal manner demonstrates your willingness to connect and share your passion for Kappa Kappa Psi. It also demonstrates your desire to honor outstanding band members. Should we only recruit band members we talk to? No. Should we acknowledge band members who are going above and beyond for the band program and encourage them to attend events? Absolutely.

The National Council wish you the very best this school year. If we can ever be of assistance to you, do not hesitate to contact us.

National President – Jack Lee – lee.jack.d@gmail.com 

National VPCM – Evan Thompson – evan@kkpsi.org 

National VPP – Marco Krcatovich – mkrcatov@kkpsi.org 

National VPSA – Zac Humphrey – zac@kkpsi.org 

National VPPR – Dr. Douglas Stotter – dstotter@uta.edu 

Alumni Chair – Ali Beidler – alison.beidler@gmail.com 

Board Chair – Dr. Rod Chesnutt – rchesnut@fgcu.edu 

Don’t forget that Chapter Personnel Report, Chapter Fee, and Member Dues are due by September 30, 2016! 

AEA,

Evan L. Thompson

National Vice President for Colonization & Membership

Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity

evan@kkpsi.org

Student Advisory Committee Announcement & Summer Report 2016

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— Student Advisory Committee Announcement—

Last year, as part of my work as your Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA), I met with your district officers on a monthly basis. During these online meetings, officers would provide updates on the work being done in their districts and I would provide updates on the work of the national council. Coming out of the national council’s winter council meeting in January, I started tinkering with the idea of rebranding this meeting and transforming it into an ongoing Student Advisory Committee (SAC). This committee has historically met only during national convention, but the current national council is looking to leverage our students as resources throughout the coming year in the lead up to the 2017 national convention in Orlando, FL. Per the national constitution, the committee will be made up of current district officers. I want to introduce the current members of the Student Advisory Committee for the 2015-2017 biennium:

CHAIR
Zac Humphrey

MWD
Floyd Pierce
Tenea Fabray
Sarah Person
Jordan Burgin
 
NCD
Jeric Tumang
Abigail Johnson
Danielle Francis
Justin Jensen
 
NED
Kylie Wolfe
Shanon Rubin
Miranda Cook
Emily McPeake
Helen Landers
SED
Michael Bradford-CalhounSAC
Ariel Marissa Clouse
Jerome Hall
Evan Schlameuss
 
SWD
George Ishii
Robert Morris
Jayden Goeringer
David Cox
Arjun Jeetan
 
WD
Mitch Mikuchonis
Alyssa Maher
Shi Ya Ni
Jake Rocco

The committee will meet at least once each month to have ongoing work sessions. During these online meetings, at least one member from each district will be required to attend with the rest strongly encouraged to attend, if possible. Each month, a different district will be charged with drafting a report that will be shared with all Brothers via the website. Each session will include a brief update from each district. Following these updates, there will be conversation on a topic submitted by the district officers/active students. Following that first conversation, the VPSA will provide an update on the work being done by the national leadership. The meeting will wrap up with a conversation based on a topic provided by the national council. The session will end with final comments and announcements. These will happen monthly until national convention next summer where a final report will be submitted by the district officers of the 2017-2018 school year. Due to the overlapping nature of bienniums and academic calendars, the makeup of this committee may change due to who is elected in the spring of 2017 to district office.

— Summer 2016 SAC Report —

Brothers,

We held the first official session on Thursday, July 7th, 2016. The following committee members were in attendance: Sarah Person of the MWD, Abigail Johnson of the NCD, Shanon Rubin and Miranda Cook of the NED, Michael Bradford-Calhoun of the SED, George Ishii and Arjun Jeetan of the SWD, and Shi Ya Ni of the WD.

During the conversation, after initial updates by the districts, there was discussion on the upcoming Kappa Kappa Psi Presents podcast as well as the current state and functionality of the national website, www.kkpsi.org.

The conversation surrounding the podcast was both exciting and appreciated. This is a new endeavor, and one in which I am learning a lot. Feedback largely revolved around length and content. The committee members liked the content and were interested in what other areas/topics were in the pipeline for upcoming episodes. As the initial set of episodes erred on the long side, once the podcast rolls out on a more regular schedule in the fall, the goal will be to keep each episode to 20-30 minutes. We ended the conversation by saying that this won’t be the last time this topic is addressed as the growth and development of the podcast will be organic and ongoing.

Regarding the national website, www.kkpsi.org, the conversation was extremely productive. It provided a great look into how our active members make use of the website. Most of the issues brought forward centered largely on technical aspects of the website’s design: dead links, circular redirecting links, blank pages, and non-working aspects of the mobile interface. Content wasn’t an issue and when provided with a brief update on the goals of National Vice President for Programs Marco Kcratovich relating to upcoming content, the committee members expressed approval regarding the future of the website. As with the podcast, this will not be the final conversation as the national council is wanting to create a website that will be a useful tool for our brothers, both active and alumni, advisers and faculty, and the public.

I, as your VPSA, am looking forward to the work that is going to be done throughout the year. If you have any questions, comments or concerns or if you would like to submit something for the SAC to discuss, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself at zac@kkpsi.org or the whole committee at studentadvisory@kkpsi.org.

AEA,
Zac Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs

Joint Statement on Military Bands

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To the Brothers and Sisters of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma,

The National Leadership of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma take great pride in the work our organizations do in service to college and university bands. We also take pride in the many members of our organizations who actively serve in the United States Military.

To that end, you may be aware of legislation making its way through the United States Congress regarding the funding of military service bands and their activities. An amendment attached to the version of the 2017 Defense Appropriations Act passed by the House of Representatives is currently awaiting action by the United States Senate. This legislation, if passed into law would severely reduce the permissible activities of said groups, removing parades, concerts, and other performances that do not directly support official ceremonial activities.

While our primary mission is the support of college and university bands, we as joint organizations feel it is important to inform our members when actions being taken impact the greater band community. If this is something that you feel very strongly about, we encourage you to reach out to your United States Senators and voice your support for bands of all kinds, including those that serve in the military capacity. If you are not sure how to contact your Senator (or do not know who that might be), please go here: http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/. 

—

Kathryn D. Kelly, M.D.
National President for Tau Beta Sigma
“We provide exceptional service to collegiate bands and promote equality and diversity, including empowering women in the band profession. We cultivate leadership, educational achievement, music appreciation and community development.” – Tau Beta Sigma Mission Statement

Jack Lee
National President for Kappa Kappa Psi
“Kappa Kappa Psi is a co-educational fraternal organization that advances college and university bands for the benefit of its members and society through dedicated service and support to bands, encouragement of musical growth, lifelong educational experiences, leadership opportunities, and recognition.” – Kappa Kappa Psi Mission Statement

Kappa Kappa Psi Presents goes live!

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Good evening Brothers!

We are excited to announce that the first episodes of the new Kappa Kappa Psi Presents podcast are available on iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher. If there are other platforms we should be posting to, let us know! These initial episodes act as a teaser for what is to come once the school year gets underway. The episodes highlight a couple of the different ways we’re looking to create content, focusing on educational topics as well as interviews with members of the fraternity.

We look forward to hearing your feedback as well as your suggestions for future episodes. You can get in touch by either emailing the podcast email, kkpsipresents@kkpsi.org or zac@kkpsi.org.

AEA,
Zac Humphrey
National Vice President for Student Affairs

kkpsi-presents-itunes

KKPsiAA Board of Directors Announcement

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Dear Brothers,

On behalf of the Kappa Kappa Psi Board of Trustees, I am pleased and honored to announce the appointment of Alison Beidler as Chair of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. She replaces Mike Napolitano who is taking on the position of Northeast District Governor. Mike has done a terrific job as chair, and Alison is poised to continue the Alumni Association having served as co-Vice Chair. Her work with membership is particularly remarkable.

Please join us in congratulating Alison as she takes on this role and in supporting the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association as they continue to “Strive for the Highest.”

AEA

Rod Chesnutt, Chair

Northeast District Governor Changes

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Brothers of the Northeast District –

I wanted to take a moment to thank Marie Burleigh and John Leonard on their outstanding work this year as the governor team in the Northeast District.  They have each continued a high standard of work and motivation for the active members of the district.

Unfortunately, John has notified the National Council that he is resigning his position as Governor of the Northeast District.  It is exciting, however, that John is doing so to focus on future plans as he pursues his doctoral degree at Western Michigan University.  We are thankful to John for his service to the district, and wish him the best as he continues to support the Fraternity through his work as a collegiate director.

Obviously, this creates a vacancy in the governorship within the district.  After careful consideration and with input from the national leadership team, I am excited to announce that Mike Napolitano will join the national leadership team as a Northeast District Governor alongside Marie.

Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and should be a familiar name for many in the NED.  Mike has recently served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and was most recently serving as the chair.  He was initiated in to the Kappa Upsilon chapter at Marist College in Spring 2002.  For the past 12 year, Mike has served as the chapter sponsor while he serves as the Associate Director of Music and Operations manager at Marist College.

I am excited that Mike is joining the governor team in the Northeast District, and I know that he is going to be an exception example of leadership for the active membership.

Please feel free to send a welcoming and congratulatory message to Mike at mnapolitano@kkpsi.org.

As always, if there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

AEA,
Jack Lee
National President

North Central District Governor Changes

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Brothers of the North Central District,

I wanted to take a moment to thank Dr. Ishbah Cox and Jason Mlady on their outstanding work this year as the governor team in the North Central District.  They have each continued a high standard of work and motivation for the active members of the district.

Dr. Cox has notified the National Council that he is resigning his position as Governor of the North Central District to focus on family commitments.  We are thankful to Dr. Cox, and are reminded of the great musical leadership and passion he brings to Kappa Kappa Psi.  We wish him the best in his future!

Obviously, this creates a vacancy in the governorship within the district.  After careful consideration and with input from the national leadership team, I am excited to announce that Tammi Ramsey will join the national leadership team as a North Central District Governor alongside Jason.

Tammi is no stranger to the Fraternity or to the NCD.  Tammi was initiated in, and is a life member of, the Zeta Omicron chapter at the University of Akron.  She has previously served as a NCD President and as a colony advisor for Kappa Kappa Psi.  I know that her passion for our Fraternity is great, and she is going to do an exceptional job.

Please feel free to send her a congratulatory message at tammi@kkpsi.org.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

AEA,
Jack D. Lee
National President

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