Frequently Asked Questions

I am a transformational leader with a service over self mentality. I always seek to lead with purpose and vision, challenging others to think critically and thoughtfully, and inspiring a commitment to attaining shared goals. I am a communicator by nature who leads with respect. I believe it is better to over-communicate than to leave things hanging or left to assumption. As a Soror once told me, I have a gift for making the uncomfortable comfortable. Because as we know in this Sorority and in general, we often must have tough, REAL conversations. But these encounters should always be teachable moments for all involved. We are a diverse organization of dynamic women from all walks of life. To accomplish this, we must lead with grace first and foremost…and I live by that practice.

My leadership attributes can be leveraged in

1. How I engage with the membership from a place of transparency and respect

2. How I will always look to trailblaze a path to help the next Soror. In addition to my drive and ambition, I am truly inspired by helping and seeing others reach their potential and succeed.

3. How I manage the Region. As a results-oriented leader with a proven record, viewing success as the success of all.

4. How I support the Sisterhood. One of the best lessons I learned early is operating in both spaces of Sigma – Business and Social. I take nothing personally in Sigma’s business because we are all passionate about the pledge and should be working to make Sigma greater.

I am the ideal candidate because of my equitable balance of soft and hard skills. I am a people person by nature and do not shy away from even the tough conversations, because I believe there is greater result when consideration and respect is shown to differing perspectives.

I also understand the power of communication and relationship building to successfully manage teams/organization; as well as gain consensus and develop mutually beneficial partnerships. All essential soft skills for productive leadership in an organization with diverse personalities and communication styles.

My academic and professional career has allowed me to successfully work within the operations arena for over 26 years. From my beginnings as a consultant focused on risk management; to strategic planning, program management and policy for the federal government; to my current career in congressional affairs.

Combined with my proven Sigma experience and accomplishments, I have the organizational acumen to lead the business and sisterhood of Sigma in the Northeastern Region.

I would like to create a separate working group with the international chapters, inclusive of the Area Coordinators and with advisement from the Global Membership Liaison, to accomplish several things:

a. Get a full orientation to their landscape i.e. demographics and communities they serve, political climate, economic challenges, etc.

b. Identify any challenges they currently have that limit their impact i.e. conflicts or limitations based on our sorority's governing documents, membership limitations, location, etc.

c. Establish programmatic and membership solutions in order for them to become better supported and established (successful) chapters within the Region and Sorority.

d. Maintain quarterly check-ins for better communication, engagement and to stay abreast of resulting successes; as well as being proactive in addressing any future challenges.

e. Advocate on their behalf and equity of experience at the National level.

I want to work with the UCC and the NER Membership Chair in establishing a regional membership kit to include standardized training to follow TORCH akin to Sigma 101. This training would be a guide for understanding and adequately executing chapter operations, program development, and internal chapter relations. It would also include a more in-depth history of the NER and the business of the region and national body, i.e., roles and responsibilities, meetings, conferences, and parliamentary governance.

Additionally, this will include developing and providing hands-on, customized training for chapters to address areas for improvement, understanding that some areas may not have a single solution. These trainings involve using shared benchmarks from other successful chapters with similar demographics and target communities.

I will ensure the region is governed democratically through “top-down leadership.” The culture and operation of the regional board needs to be an example to our chapters. My board culture is one of democracy. Each officer is elected or appointed to their position and entrusted to make decisions that are in the body’s best interest, not in personal bias. My goal is to foster a board where officers are empowered to use their voices, lean on their expertise, and make decisions as a board based on the authorities outlined in our governing documents.

I’d first work with the UCC to identify the root cause of undergrads not seeking leadership. This requires speaking and working directly with our undergrads, identifying their challenges and hesitancy, and polling the advising chapters to understand the challenges from the alumnae advisor’s perspective. The goal would be to yield the root causes and identify solutions that can be implemented effectively. From an immediate regional level perspective, I will foster a culture of diversity in how we seek appointments and committee announcements. I will require committees to include undergraduates as members, identify mentor and apprentice pathways through our committees and look for appointees with a true vision and creativity for the position they seek.

NOTABLE to me was the feeling I had as a young Soror when I attended my first Boule and Sorors instantly acknowledged when the NER entered the room. NOTABLE was the mentorship and support I received from Culture Pearl Theresa Leeke and Phi Sigma chapter when I was headed from undergrad to alumnae status, and guidance on how Sigma business was to be conducted and how Sigma is represented on all levels. NOTABLE are the internal and external impacts we as a Region make to improve and enrich our communities, and each other.

My experience serving as the first appointed National Military Initiatives Task Force (MITF) Chair and 2-term Area I Coordinator demonstrates my ability to foster sisterly relations across multiple generations.

As the MITF Chair for four years, I led this national task of Sorors who represented each of the five regions, had served within multiple service agencies, and ranged from active duty to retired for almost 20 years. I led this committee in developing the mission statement, purpose, initiative plan, and roll-out strategy. The high-performing committee completed the bulk of the foundation work for the current military initiative national committee.

As the NER Area I Coordinator from 2018 -2022, I created and conducted the quarterly basileis brunches to improve chapter relationships across Area I, encouraged the sharing of chapter calendars to identify points of support and programmatic partnerships, organized with chapters and conducted virtual Area events to foster connection between Sorors during COVID, and proposed and was successfully selected as the Area to host the NER centennial celebration in November 2022.

The positions of Syntaktes and UCC are not synonymous. The UCC position is not a springboard to the Syntaktes position, as there is no set pathway to leadership positions, only qualifications. We are evolving as an organization to support progression and growth; this is evident in two of our last four NER Syntakti not previously serving as UCCs, further proving that experience as a UCC, is not required to be a successful Syntaktes.

I seek the Syntaktes position because it aligns with my vision, passion, and professional acumen. I do not want to serve in a position to fill a seat. I want to make a difference and support the expansion of Sigma’s mission globally. My professional and sigma experience has provided a diverse background in operations, policy and procedures, program management, strategic planning, service, outreach, and training, making me an ideal candidate for the Syntaktes position.

Fiscal responsibility specifically addresses developing a financial vision aligned with sustainability and strategic investments. In addition, measures should be implemented to improve administrative transparency, accountability, and continuity.

My administration will look to implement strategies to identify, inspire, and motivate the Region’s future leaders. One approach is promoting of diverse opportunities for pathways to leadership and internal networking resources. From an immediate regional level perspective, I want to foster a culture of diversity in how we seek appointments and committee announcements. A few ways to do this are by requiring committees to include members from all areas as well as undergraduates, establishing mentor and apprentice pathways at both the officer and committee levels along with training chapters to create the same at the local level, and looking for appointees with a true vision and creativity for the position they are seeking.