Timmes of Pi Kappa Phi and Wright Awarded NIC Medals

Indianapolis, September 27, 2021 – The North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) awards Mark E. Timmes with the NIC Gold Medal, its highest interfraternal honor. Timmes has not only served tirelessly as Pi Kappa Phi’s Chief Executive Officer for 27 years, he has also dedicated his time and talents to the success of the greater fraternal industry.

The presentation of the NIC Gold Medal is one of the oldest traditions of the NIC and dates back to 1940. The Gold Medal is presented for a lifetime of work within the fraternity movement.

NIC President and CEO Jud Horras stated, “Mark is considered one of the most trusted and loyal individuals in our profession. And perhaps most important personally, Mark is a treasured friend and true gentleman – to everyone he interacts with – while working to move the fraternity industry forward. As a colleague you just can’t ask for anyone better to work with, and I am grateful for his friendship and leadership.”

Becoming CEO in 1996, Timmes has led many strategic initiatives including Pi Kappa Phi’s four-year member development Journey Project, America’s Leading Fraternity Initiative, Second Century Vision and Uncommon Leadership strategic plans. He also led the fraternity through a refresh of branding, communications and volunteer strategies all contributing to an enhanced member experience.

In addition, Timmes has had a remarkable impact through his commitment to the greater fraternity community through work with the NIC, Southeastern Greek Leadership Association, Fraternity Executives Association and other industry groups. He has been a steadfast leader — his involvement is not in name or position only; his contributions are measured in action and legacy.  

 He is a devoted, life-long mentor, influencer, advocate and friend to many fraternity members and supporters. A true champion of the fraternity movement, Timmes does this work for the right reason and with no ego. He operates off the fundamental belief that work to advance the fraternity and sorority experience cannot happen without the greater community of inter/national organizations. 

The NIC also awards Linda Wright with the NIC Silver Medal. Wright has been helping national fraternity headquarters, fraternity chapters and individual fraternity members navigate the difficult world of litigation for 30 years. Wright has earned top accreditation and is a trusted source of information in risk and claims cases.

Wright has spoken at countless fraternity leadership programs as well as headquarters staff training events. She believes strongly in the value of the fraternity experience and has been a vigorous advocate.

A strong advocate for fraternity, she sincerely believes in the benefits of fraternity membership for college men. Wright defends fraternal organizations and individual members in the most difficult circumstances; she truly cares about the people she works with and is part of the fraternal family. 

The Silver Medal is presented for exemplary service or leadership in a role or task that has advanced the fraternal movement. It has been awarded since 1980.

###

Media Contact:
Todd Shelton

Government Relations and Anti-Hazing Legislation

Statement on violent protest at University of Iowa

We join others in the community to condemn any form of sexual violence. While we support freedoms of speech and assembly, the violence and destruction by some members of the crowd during a protest last night at the University of Iowa is unacceptable and cannot be repeated.

We call on all members of the campus community to come together to address the issue of sexual violence in a meaningful manner. We support survivors and believe those found responsible for misconduct should be held accountable for their actions.

# # #

09/01/21

Media contact:
Todd Shelton

Hazing Prevention Legislation Update: Understanding Collin’s Law in Ohio

This moderated discussion with legal experts discussed the details of Collin’s Law and the things chapter officers, council officers, and chapter advisors should be aware of as this new law is implemented.

Panelists included Micah Kamrass from Fraternal Law and Toby Eveland from Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr. Micah is a partner at Manley Burke, based in Ohio and an alum of Ohio State. Dani Weatherford, CEO of National Panhellenic Conference, and Clark Brown, NIC General Counsel, joined the conversation facilitated by NIC President and CEO Judson Horras.

This webinar was conducted in partnership with Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA), National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO), National APIDA Panhellenic Association (NAPA), North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC), National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), and National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC).

(Recorded Tuesday, August 24, 2021)

IFC SOP Alignment: Integration/Dues Collection Strategy

This webinar briefly reviews the IFC Standard Operating Procedures and discusses strategies to implement these policies within your IFC.

VIEW WEBINAR

Planning a Fall Council Retreat

This webinar covers how to plan a strong council retreat to set your IFC up for success this fall, set goals and priorities for the semester and build fellowship.

Implementing a DEI Strategy

Learn how to best implement a DEI officer and initiatives within your IFC. Also, review the DEI Resources available to your IFC through the NIC and AFLV, as well as how to best utilize these to advance conversations in your community.

Hackett transitions to Vice President of Campus Operations

Jackie Hackett is transitioning to a new role on the NIC team as the Vice President of Campus Operations working with Interfraternity Councils and campuses in the Southeast region. She will collaborate with the Campus Support Team to provide support, coaching, and resources for Interfraternity Councils and focus on community development, council effectiveness, and alumni engagement as she contributes to the NIC’s core mission of enhancing the fraternity experience.

As a member of the NIC team since November 2018, Hackett has been responsible for successfully leading NIC Educational Programs such as UIFI, Launch, IMPACT, PRIME, and IFC Academy—including successfully transitioning PRIME, Academy, and Launch to virtual experiences in the past year and developing new and updated resources for Interfraternity Councils and officers.

“We are excited for Jackie to take on this role and continue to contribute to the NIC team. Her experience makes her a valuable resource in support of fraternity communities in the Southeast,” said NIC President & CEO Judson Horras.

Hackett is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority and earned her bachelor’s degree at Marshall University and her master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She can be reached at jackie.hackett@nicfraternity.org and will fill the role recently vacated by Ryan Temby who left staff to pursue a new professional opportunity. Moving forward, Jackie will continue to remain involved with NIC Educational Programs, and the Education Team can be contacted at edprograms@nicfraternity.org.

# # #

July 27, 2021

New Gallup Survey Shows Fraternity and Sorority Membership tied to Strong College Experiences, Development of Career Skills and Post-Graduate Wellbeing

INDIANAPOLIS – The results of a new Gallup survey conducted on behalf of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) and the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) highlight strong relationships between fraternity and sorority membership and the reported strength of the college experience, feelings of preparation for life after college and general wellbeing. The survey of more than 10,000 college alumni compared the experiences of fraternity and sorority alumni members (“affiliated alumni”) with those who were not fraternity and sorority members (“nonaffiliated alumni”).

Affiliated alumni were more likely to report feeling supported by faculty and mentors and were three times as likely to have engaged in experiential learning. Fraternity and sorority alumni are also substantially more likely than nonaffiliated alumni to recommend their college or university to others, agree that their education was worth the cost and are more likely to donate to their institution.

“As fraternities and sororities evolve in how they serve current and future students, these data are incredibly important for policymakers, university leaders and Greek organizations. These findings continue to reinforce how vital students’ experiences in college are to their lives after they graduate,” said Stephanie Marken, executive director for education research at Gallup.

Differences in experiences between affiliated and nonaffiliated alumni are also apparent on career-related factors, with affiliated alumni reporting a higher likelihood of finding a good job quickly after graduation. More than half of fraternity and sorority alumni, compared to just 36% of nonaffiliated alumni, had accepted a job offer or found employment within two months of graduation.

“This research reaffirms what many of us have long known to be true about the fraternal experience. Our members are prepared, they’re more likely to thrive across their personal and professional lives and they’re more likely to be engaged with their alma maters and in their communities,” said Dani Weatherford, CEO of the National Panhellenic Conference.

“Leaders from across NPC continue to seek ways to further strengthen the sorority experience and make it more accessible and inclusive, but these results demonstrate the core of the experience is delivering on the central mission each of our organizations share – building community in ways that help our members succeed.”

“This research aligns with previous findings from Gallup and other researchers that prove fraternities foster positive mental health, serve as a success accelerator for students and engender tremendous loyalty with alumni to support their alma mater,” said Judson Horras, president and CEO of the North American Interfraternity Conference.

Other key findings include:

More than one in five affiliated alumni (23%), versus 14% of nonaffiliated alumni, report having a professor who cared about them as a person and made them excited about learning, and had a mentor who encouraged them to pursue their goals and dreams.
Nearly one in four affiliated alumni (24%), as opposed to just 8% of nonaffiliated alumni, strongly agreed that they had a job or internship that allowed them to apply classroom learnings, worked on a project that took more than a semester to complete and were “extremely active” in extracurricular activities or organizations.
A majority of affiliated alumni are “promoters” of their institution, based on their likelihood to recommend it. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of affiliated alumni selected a 9 or 10 on a scale where 10 is the highest likelihood to recommend their alma mater, compared with 43% of nonaffiliated alumni.
The majority (54%) of affiliated alumni say they donated to their alma mater in the last year, versus just 10% of nonaffiliated alumni.
Majorities of affiliated alumni are thriving in every area of their wellbeing: 62% in career wellbeing, 66% in community wellbeing, 51% in financial wellbeing, 53% in physical wellbeing and 62% in social wellbeing.
Eighty-four percent of affiliated alumni say if they had to do it all over again, they would still join their fraternity or sorority.

Methodology

As part of its national survey of more than 10,000 U.S. college graduates conducted between Jan. 15 and Jan. 29, 2021, Gallup interviewed more than 3,000 alumni of diverse backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses who graduated within the past 15 years and are members of fraternities or sororities. These alumni, referred to throughout the report as “affiliated alumni,” represent a broad range of demographics and member organizations and councils, including NPC, NIC, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. (NPHC), National Multicultural Greek Council (NMGC), National ADIPA Panhellenic Council (NAPA) and National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO). All other graduates are referred to as “nonaffiliated alumni.”

Download: View the complete report “Fraternities & Sororities: Experiences and Outcomes in College, Work and Life”

About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

About the National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), one of the largest organizations advocating for women, is the umbrella group for 26 national and international social sororities. Through its advocacy, NPC highlights the importance of women’s-only spaces and showcases the transformational power of the sorority experience.

About the North American Interfraternity Conference
The North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) is a trade association that represents 58 national and international men’s fraternities, including a diverse range of culturally and religious-based organizations, on campuses in the United States and Canada. The NIC is committed to supporting opportunities for young men to seek and form positive, enriching fraternal bonds. The health and safety of students guides our advocacy, standards and education.

July 20, 2021

Hillary Brewer joins NIC as Director of Communication

Hillary Brewer is joining the North American Interfraternity Conference team as Director of Communication. In this role, Brewer will lead compelling, industry-wide communication campaigns and strategy for the NIC and the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence. She will collaborate with the team to proactively tell the story of the fraternity experience and will lead communication around initiatives such as Health & Safety, myFraternity and the NIC Awards of Distinction program.

“Hillary’s eye for consistency in messaging and collaboration will be a strength in our advocacy on behalf of our member organizations, fraternity men and the experience,” said NIC President & CEO Judson Horras.

Brewer comes to the NIC from Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity where she began her career in 2012 as an educational leadership consultant followed by a role in new chapter development for the women’s organization. Since 2015, she served the fraternity in communication roles including Creative Director for their award-winning efforts since 2019. She currently serves a volunteer role as Vice President of Programming on the board of directors for the Fraternity Communications Association.

“Hillary brings a passion for fraternal communications,” said Todd Shelton, NIC chief communication officer. “I believe her experience will provide positive insight to further our communications efforts—particularly in support of the broader constituency of the Foundation for Fraternal Excellence.”

Brewer will begin her new role on July 6 and can be reached at hillary.brewer@nicfraternity.org. She assumes the position previously held by Andrea Benek who departed to lead communication and brand management for NIC member fraternity Zeta Beta Tau.

“I am thrilled to join the NIC staff and continue supporting fraternal communications,” said Brewer. “I look forward to promoting and advocating for the fraternity experience alongside industry leaders and experts.”

Brewer was initiated into Alpha Omicron Pi at Appalachian State University.

# # #

June 21, 2021